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 957

F. H. BOLTE, of the firm of BOLTE & ECKOFF,
proprietors of the Columbus Foundry, manufacturers of
the Eureka Windmill and pumps of various kinds; Mr.
BOLTE was born in the town of Columbus, Columbia Co.,
Wis., in 1856; was educated at the Northwestern
University at Watertown, Wis., from which institution
he graduated in 1871; he entered upon an
apprenticeship at the carpenter and joiner's trade in
1872, with Charles BREYER, of the town of Elba, Dodge
Co., and continued with him for three years; he
invented and got patented the Eureka Windmill in
December 1878, of which he and his partner are now
sole manufactures; he also invented the Economist
Churn in April 1879.  In December 1879, he was married
to Miss Minnie ECKOFF, of Columbus, Wis.  They are
members of the Lutheran Church.

PROF. G. M. BOWEN, Principal of high school and
Superintendent of the city schools of Columbus; was
born in the town of Amsterdam, Montgomery Co., N.Y.,
in 1847; when 10 years of age, he, with his parents,
M.H. and Matilda BOWEN, removed to Fond du Lac Co.,
Wis., and located on a farm near Ripon; three years
later, they removed to Auroraville, Waushara Co., and
settled on what is known as the "Indian land," where
they now reside; Mr. BOWEN received his earlier
education in the public schools of Wisconsin.  In
1864, he enlisted in Co. I, of the 7th W.V.I., at
Auroraville; was with the Army of the Potomac, and was
wounded at the battle of Spottsylvania Court House,
May 12, 1864, receiving two wounds, from one of which
he now carries a ball; he rejoined his regiment at
Petersburg, in August following, and was with it in
all its principal movements and at the surrender of
Gen. Lee, April 9, 1865; was mustered out at Madison,
Wis., in July 1865; returning then to Auroraville, he
spent two years attending the common schools and
teaching; he entered the State Normal school at
Whitewater, Wis., in April 1868, and graduated from
that institution with the first class in 1870; he was
elected Principal of the West District of Jefferson,
Jefferson Co., in the fall of 1870, and in the
following year was elected Teacher of Mathematics in
the Jefferson Liberal Institute; in 1872, he was
elected Principal of the Wausau High School, and re-
elected in 1873, to the same position; he was elected
Principal of the Berlin High school in 1874, and in
January 1876, he was elected to the principalship of
the Columbus High School, and has been re-elected to
that position for four successive years.  The
Professor is a member of the Masonic Fraternity, and
of the Universalist Church.

JOHN A. BOWEN, farmer, Sec. 36; P.O. Columbus; son of
Joseph BOWEN and Catharine ALLISON, natives of New
Jersey; born in Morristown, Morris Co., N.J., Sept.
13, 1812; his father removed with his family to Seneca
Co., N.Y., in May 1833, and in November following went
to Tompkins Co., where his mother died in 1834; his
father then returned to New Jersey, and died there in
1836; John A., the oldest of a family of five
children, was educated in the district schools of New
Jersey; he followed teaching in New Jersey for ten
quarters, and then returned to New York, and continued
there for three winters.  In December 1836, in Morris
Co., N.J., he was married to Miss Elizabeth, daughter
of John and Mary (TODD) McCORD; she is a native of
that county; they removed within a fortnight after
marriage to Tompkins Co., N.Y., where they lived on a
farm until 1842; immigrating thence to Wisconsin, they
located in the town of Richmond, Walworth Co.; six
years later, they removed to the town of Columbus,
Columbia Co., and located on Sec. 10, where he now
owns 280 acres; nearly twenty years after, he removed
to a farm of 80 acres on Sec. 36, where he has since
lived; he also has 10 acres in the town of Portland,
Dodge Co.  Mr. BOWEN has been assessor of the town for
ten years, and member of the Town Board for two terms.
They had five children, as follows: Mary C. (now
deceased), Edward and Mary I. (twins, the latter
deceased; the former now lives on Sec. 10, of this
town), Erastus (now with his brother on the farm) and
Eliza E. (now the wife of Ezra W. Richmond, and lives
in the town of York, Dane Co.).  Mr. and Mrs. BOWEN
are members of the Presbyterian Church.

A. LOUIS BRAUCKLE, brewer, Columbus; was born in
Wurtemberg, Germany, Feb. 2, 1814, and is the son of
an extensive farmer in that country, Thomas BRAUCKLE;
at the age of 20 years, he began the brewer's trade in
Wurtemberg, and continued the same there till 1845,
when he emigrated to Milwaukee, Wis., and there worked
at his trade for Mr. BROWN, till 1847; he then went to
Racine, where he followed his trade till the fall of
1848; he then came to Columbus, where he worked for
Mr. JUSSEN nearly a year; then bought the brewery of
him, and has since been its proprietor.  He was
married March 1, 1851, to Mrs. Mary, widow of John
ERHART, and a daughter of August NUSSAR, a native of
Wurtemberg; they have one son - Peter, and have lost
three children.  They are members of the Catholic
church.

Submitted by Carol