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 955

JOHN Q. ADAMS, was born in Franklin Co. Mass., in
1816; son of Charles ADAMS, who came to the town of
Fountain Prairie, Columbia Co., Wis., in 1846 where
his wife, nee Mary HOWES, died soon after, and some
time during the following year he returned to the
State of Massachusetts, where he subsequently died.
John Q., our present subject, received his education
in the common schools and academies of his native
State.  He came to Wisconsin in 1844 and located on a
farm, in the township of Fountain Prairie, Columbia
Co., and made that his home for about twenty-three
years.  He then removed to the city (then village) of
Columbus, where he has since resided, retaining,
however, his farm of 350 acres.  Mr. ADAMS was elected
one of the first County Commissioners of Columbia Co.,
in 1846, and was re-elected in the fall of 1847,
serving in 1848.  He was elected Chairman of the Town
Board of Fountain Prairie in 1851 and 1852, and has
several times been re-elected to that office.  He also
held the office of Town Superintendent of Schools of
that town in 1849-50, and was one of the organizers of
the town of 1849.  Mr. ADAMS represented his district
in the Wisconsin Assembly in1853, and also his county
in the Senate during the sessions of 1854-55-56; he
was again returned to the Assembly in 1863.  In 1858,
he was elected Superintendent of the County Poor, and
has ever since been kept in that office.  He has been
President of the Columbia Co. Agricultural society
several terms, and has held the office of treasurer of
the same for eleven years.  Was member of the School
Board of Columbus for seven years; was President of
the same for three years.  Politically, Mr. ADAMS is a
Republican, and was a member of the committee on
resolutions at the organization of that party, at
Madison, Wis., in 1854.  In Massachusetts, in 1846, he
was married to Miss Lucy S., daughter of Erastus
POMROY.  Their children are Louie P. (now a student at
Ripon College0; Clara and Lily (at home).  Mr. and
Mrs. ADAMS are members of the Congregational Church.

A. T. AUSTIN, farmer; Sec. 14; P.O. Columbus; was born
in Grafton Co., N.H., in 1827, and with parents in
1835 he emigrated to Richland Co., Ohio.  Ten years
later (May, 1845), he came to Wisconsin and located on
a farm in Jefferson Co.  He entered a farm of 220
acres in the town of Elba, Dodge Co., in 1846, and
settled there in the spring of 1847.  Here he lived
for twenty years and devoted his attention wholly to
agriculture.  Selling his interest in Dodge Co., in
February 1867; he bought a farm of 250 acres on Sec.
14, town of Columbus, Columbia Co., Wis.; where he has
since resided.  He was married in 1853, to Miss Sarah
HATHAWAY, of Jefferson Co., Wis., but a native of
Monroe Co., N.Y.  Their children are Thaddeus T. (now
in California); March D. (at home); Abraham S., Gracie
D., Frank, James W., and Charity S.  Mr. AUSTIN's
family are connected with the Congregational Church.

CAPT. CALVIN BAKER, was born in the town of Georgia,
Franklin Co., Vt., in 1808; when quite young, with his
parents, Remember and Cynthia (STANNARD) BAKER, he
removed to Genesee Co., N.Y., where his father devoted
much of his time to the trade of millwright, but later
removed to Michigan, where they afterward died.  The
family was composed of seven children, four sons and
three daughters - Calvin, the oldest of these, devoted
much of his time with his father, to the trade of a
millwright and at building thrashing machines - but
failing health forced him to quit the trade and seek
some outdoor employment. He followed buying stock wool
for the New York markets for several years.  In 1824,
he was married to Miss Susanna BLODGETT, of Genesee
Co., N.Y., who died in 1841.  His second marriage was
to Mrs. Ann SCOFIELD, of New York City, a daughter of
George and Betsey HAGUE.  Her father was a native of
England, her mother of France.  Mr. and Mrs. BAKER
came to Wisconsin in 1857, and located on a farm in
the town of Fountain Prairie, Columbia Co., where he
followed farming for some time.  In 1862, he was
engaged in the detective business with his brother,
Col. BAKER.  He was appointed Captain of the
Quartermaster's Department at Washington, in 1863, a
position which he held till the fall of 1865.
Returning then to his farm in Fountain Prairie, he
devoted his time to farming till 1872, when they
removed to the city of Columbus, where he has lived a
more retired life.  Mr. and Mrs. BAKER are members of
the Congregational Church.

Submitted by Carol