Biographies from The History of Columbia County,
Wisconsin, 1880 


Contributed by Carol carolann612@charter.net
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm


From The History of Columbia County, Wisconsin, 1880,
publ. by Western Historical Company, Chicago, Page
983-984

EDWARD FAIRBANKS, farmer, Secs. 24, 25 and 26, 290
acres; P.O. Columbus.  The subject of this sketch is
the son of Reuben FAIRBANKS and Lucinda FISH, natives
of Massachusetts, but removed to Clinton Co., N.Y.,
prior to the war of 1812, where his mother afterward
died; his father afterward moved to Iowa, where he
died.  Mr. FAIRBANKS was born in the town of
Champlain, Clinton Co., N.Y., in 1819, and spent his
time on the farm there till 1838; he then secured the
position of Overseer of the Vermont & Massachusetts
Railway, and, after serving in that capacity for some
time, he became a conductor of the Ogdensburg road.
In 1852, he emigrated to Columbia Co., Wisconsin, and
located on a farm of Sec. 25, town of Hampden, where
he has since devoted his time to agriculture and
stock-raising.  Mr. FAIRBANKS has been Chairman of the
Town Board for four terms.  He was married, in 1850,
to Miss Mary J., daughter of Samuel and Dolly LONG, a
native of the town of Champlain, Clinton Co., N.Y.;
their children are Ellen M., now the wife of H. HALL,
and lives in this town; Calvin J., who married Miss
Ella LEFFINGWELL, and now lives on the farm; Florence
E., now Mrs. David JONES, and lives at home.

Page 984

IRA H. FORD, farmer, Sec. 13; P.O. Columbus; was born
in the town of Granville, Addison Co., Vt., in 1828;
his father, Capt. Caleb FORD, was born in Connecticut;
was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was among the
first settlers of Granville, where he died in 1852;
his mother, Roxina LAMB, was born in Addison Co., and
died in 1877.  Ira H., our subject, went to California
in 1852, where he engaged in mining a short time, then
in the dairy business two and a half years; in October
1855, he came to Columbia Co., Wis., bought a part of
his present farm, and has since made this his home; he
now owns 320 acres on Secs. 14 and 27.  In the fall of
1862 he raised a military company in his neighborhood,
which afterward became Co. I, 18th W.V.I.; he enlisted
as a private but was elected First Lieutenant, and was
with his regiment in all the principal battles and
movements until taken prisoner at the battle of
Shiloh, April 6, 1862, and taken as such to Memphis,
Mobile, Montgomery, and to a place in Georgia, where
he made an attempt to escape, but was chased down by
bloodhounds, and kept in chains five months; was taken
to Andersonville, Madison, Ga., Columbus, S.C., and to
Libby Prison, where he was paroled in November 1862,
and at once rejoined his regiment, though did not
receive his exchange papers until the following March;
he was promoted Captain of his company, in February
1863, and served as such until August 1864, when he
resigned, came home and enlisted in battery M, 1st W.
H. A., was elected Captain ands served with the Army
of the Potomac, until the close of the war, and was
mustered out at Alexandria, Va., in June 1865.  Mr.
FORD was elected a member of the Wisconsin Assembly,
from the Second District of Columbia Co., in 1867, and
re-elected in 1868; he was appointed to fill a vacancy
in the County Board, from his district, in 1869, and
elected a member of the Board in 1870; member of Town
Board and other minor offices.

DANIEL J. HAINS, farmer, Sec. 1; P.O. Otsego; was born
in Westchester Co., N.Y., in 1831, and is the son of
Sylvester H. and Jane HAINS, both of whom were natives
of New York.  Mr. HAINS came with his parents to
Wisconsin in September 1939, and located on a farm in
the town of Koshkonong, Jefferson Co., in 1843, they
removed to the town of York, Dane Co., where his
father lived twenty-five years, now resides in Turner
Co., Dakota.  Daniel J., our present subject, made his
home on the farm in the town of York, until 1852, when
he went to Placer Co., Cal., where he engaged in
mining, until 1856; returning then to Dane Co., Wis.,
he continued farming there until 1863, then removed to
the town of Hampden.  He enlisted in 1864, Co. M., of
the W.H.A., under Capt. L. H. FORD, and partook in all
the principal movements of his regiment, until
mustered out at Alexandria, Va., in June 1865, when he
returned to Hampden.  He was married in 1858 to Miss
Mary, daughter of Hugh KELLEY, of the town of
Springvale, Columbia Co., Wis.; their children are
Alberto, Viola, Clarence, Marian, Edith, Ellen.  Mr.
HAINS has held the office of Assessor for nine years,
and that of Justice of the Peace for fourteen years.

JAMES INGLIS, farmer, Sec. 24; P.O. Columbus; was born
in Selkirkshire, Scotland in 1828; his parents, Thomas
and Elizabeth (JOHNSTON) INGLIS, died in his native
country.  Mr. INGLIS was apprenticed to the weaver's
trade in Selkirkshire, at the age of 14 years, which
he followed until 21 years old; he came to America in
1849, and landing in New York, he went thence to
Amesbury, Mass., where he continued his trade in the
woolen-mills, until July 1852; emigrating thence to
San Francisco, and to the interior of California,
where he engaged in mining until 1856, when he
returned to Scotland, and in March 1857, he was
married to Miss Isabel, daughter of James and Mary
WILLIAMSON, nee HALL; they started the day after
marriage for America, sailing from Liverpool and
landing in New York; they came thence via Philadelphia
to the town of Hampden, Columbia Co., Wis., where they
located on their present farm of 130 acres; their
children are Mary, Elizabeth, Jessie, Davina, Olive,
Thomas, Jennie and James.

SAMUEL JOHNSON, farmer, Sec. 4; P.O. Hampden; was born
in Norway in 1833.  He came to America in 1845, and
located at Chicago for nearly ten years; he then came
to the town of Otsego, Columbia Co., Wis., whence, in
1860, he removed to a farm on Sec. 4, town of Hampden,
where he now owns 120 acres.  He was married in 1854,
to Miss Caroline, a daughter of Olie OLESON; their
children are John, Matilda, Annie, Olive, Martin,
Estella, Caroline S. and Henry.  Mr. JOHNSON and
family are members of the Lutheran Church.

Submitted by Carol