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 987

GEORGE S. TILLOTSON, farmer, Sec. 10; P.O. Columbus;
was born in Essex Co., N.Y. in 1828.  His father,
Richard TILLOTSON, was a native of Connecticut; his
mother, Rosemond CARPENTER, was born in Vermont.  Mr.
TILLOTSON was brought up as a farmer's son, and has
always devoted his time and attention to that
vocation.  He emigrated to Columbia Co., Wis., in
1851, and located on a farm in the town of Otsego; two
years later, he removed to the town of Hampden and
settled on a farm, where he now owns 240 acres, 80 of
which is on Sec. 3 and 160 acres on Sec. 10.  He was
married to Miss Prudence, a daughter of Austin and
Polly (CONN) CURTIS, a native of Essex Co., N.Y.  Her
father was born in Massachusetts, and her mother in
Vermont.  They emigrated with Mr. and Mrs. TILLOTSON
to Columbia Co., Wis., in 1851; her mother afterward
died in this town, her father in the town of Columbia
Co., Wis., in 1851; her mother afterward died in this
town; her father, in the town of Columbus, in May
1878, at the age of 86 years.  Mr. and Mrs. T.'s
children are Richard R., born in March 13, 1852, now
living in the town of Otsego; Adelade A., born March
28, 1854, died Feb. 12, 1879; James R., born May 17,
1857, now at home; Corinthia P., born Sept. 17, 1860,
was married to Mr. James DOWD, in January 1879, and
now resides in the town of Wyocena, Henry S., born
Nov. 9, 1866, died Dec. 19, 1869; Hattie J., born Nov.
8, 1870.  Mr. and Mrs. TILLOTSON are members of the M.
E. Church.

Page 988

WILLIAM W. TILLOTSON, farmer, Secs. 3, 4 and 10; P.O.
Columbus; was born in Essex Co., N.Y., in 1834.  His
father, Richard TILLOTSON was a native of Connecticut;
his mother, Rosemond CARPENTER, was born in Vermont.
Mr. TILLOTSON was brought up as a farmer in his native
county, and in 1851, came to Columbia Co., Wis., and
lived with his brother George in the town of Hampden
for four years; he then bought a farm of 120 acres on
Secs. 3 and 10, where he has since made his home and
followed farming; he now owns 200 acres on Secs. 3, 4
and 10.  He was married in 1859 to Miss Mary J.,
daughter of Samuel and Eliza (SMITH) SPRAGUE, a native
of Essex Co., N.Y.  Their children are Ida A., now
Mrs. Elias CLARK, and lives in this town (Hampden);
Charles S., Jessie M., Harry J. and Alta M., at home. 
They attend the M. E. Church.

GEORGE W. TRIPP, farmer, Sec. 2; P.O. Otsego; was born
in Tioga Co., N.Y. in 1821.  His father, Elisa TRIPP
was a native of Vermont, born in 1783, and early in
life removed to Albany, N.Y., where he learned the
shoemaker's trade, and continued the same there till
1818; then removed to Tioga Co., N.Y., where he
devoted his time to farming, during the summers, and
to his trade during the winters; his mother, Polly
BEBEE, was born at Kingston, N.Y., in 1791.  In 1847,
Mr. and Mrs. TRIPP came to Columbia Co., Wis., and
located in the town of Fountain Prairie, where he died
in 1856; his wife now lives in that town and has
reached her 88th year.  George W., our present
subject, began the blacksmith's trade at the age of
17-1/2 years, at Binghamton, N.Y., and continued there
until the spring of 1845, when he emigrated to
Wisconsin.  He stopped a few weeks at Columbus,
Columbia Co., then settled at Beaver Dam, where he was
the second blacksmith, and the only one from July 1845
to March 1846.  In 1847, he removed to Madison, where
he continued his trade till 1854, with the exception
of eight months that he was in business in Columbus.
He was the first man to ring the first church bell in
the city of Madison (1852).  Removing to Columbus in
1854, he continued his trade till 1856, when he
located on a farm on Sec. 9, town of Hampden, and
followed farming for twelve years, removing then to
the city of Columbus, where he lived (except the year
1870, which was spent in St. Louis Co., Cal.) till
1879, when he removed to his present farm of 80 acres.
He was married in 1856, to Miss Louisa C., daughter of
William and Polly (BROWN) ALEXANDER, a native of
Windsor, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, but an emigrant to
Columbus, Wis., in 1855.

Submitted by Carol