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 1005-1006 JOHN R. SCOTT, farmer, Sec. 7; P.O. Okee; son of John L. and Charlotte SCOTT; his father was born in the State of New York; his mother is a native of New Jersey; the family came to Wisconsin from Lycoming Co., Penn; they reached Milwaukee in June 1854, where the father died, three days after their arrival; the remainder of the family, consisting of the mother, John R. and his sister Mary, settled at Okee, town of Lodi, July 22, of that year, where Mary died on the 27th of the same month; Mrs. SCOTT has since resided at Okee; she bought the farm where her son now lives in October 1854. He was married in 1866, to Rebecca MORTER, daughter of John MORTER, of the town of West Point; they have four children - Winfield, Lottie J., John M. and Seth T. Mr. SCOTT enlisted Aug. 14, 1862, in Co. H, 23d W.V.I., he was at the battle of Arkansas Post and the attack on Vicksburg, from December 22, to the night of Jan. 1, 1863; discharged for disability, April 3, 1863; re-enlisted Aug. 29, 1864, and served till the close of the war. Farm contains 83 acres. Page 1006 JOHN SHARP, farmer, Sec. 30; P.O. Prairie du Sac; the eldest son of Michael SHARP, who was born in St. Lawrence Co., N.Y., in 1801; the family removed from St. Lawrence Co. to Illinois, and then to Sauk Co., Wis., in February 1845; in 1847 they settled in the town of West Point; the parents had eleven children, ten of whom are living. John was born in St. Lawrence Co., in 1824. He was married to Lydia, daughter of Charles EVANS, of Prairie du Sac; they have one child - William Bertie; he has 132 acres of land. Ira SMITH, farmer, Sec. 25; P.O. Lodi; was born in New Lebanon, Columbia Co., N.Y., July 4, 1831; his parents are Richard and Sarah (MOSLTIER) SMITH; his father was born in 1795; his mother, in February 1797; they still reside in Columbia Co., N.Y. Mr. SMITH came to Wisconsin with his brother, William E., in May, 1855, and settled where he now lives; in fall of that year, he returned to New York and was married to Lucinda MOORE; she died in March 1876. Mr. SMITH has had six children, five of whom are living - Isabella MOORE; she died in March 1876. Mr. SMITH has had six children, five of whom are living - Isabella, Eli, Sarah A., Theron M., and Nellie; lost second child - Ida, who died May 10, 1876; farm contains 105 acres. WILLIAM B. SMITH, farmer, Sec. 13; P.O. West Point; was born in Columbia Co., N.Y., in 1847; his parents removed to Renneslaer Co., when he was a child; he came to Columbia Co., with his parents, April 1865; his father now resides on Sec. 24. Married to Martha M. CARNCROSS, daughter of Enias CARNCROSS; they have two children - Maurice and Edith. Mr. SMITH has been Town Clerk since April 1874. WILLIAM E. SMITH, farmer, Sec. 14; P.O. West Point; was born in Columbia Co., N.Y., March 2, 1829; in 1855, he came to West Point, and, with his brother, Ira, bought a quarter of a section of land; his half of this land he still owns; he returned to the State of New York in the fall of 1859, where he remained two and one-half years, and where he was married to Miss Amelia SNYDER; he bought the farm where he now resides in the spring of 1864, where he settled in 1865; his present wife was Dolly A. MOORE, born in the State of New York. Mr. SMITH has one child by first marriage - Emily V., also one by present marriage - Walter E.; he has 220 acres of land. MRS. CATHERINE M. STONE, Sec. 14; P.O. West Point; formerly Mrs. ROLLEY, widow of Mr. Ira POLLEY; is a native of the State of New York, born in 1822, where she was married to Mr. Ira POLLEY, from St. Lawrence Co., N.Y., in 1846, and entered the farm which Mrs. STONE now owns; his family came in 1848, and have resided on the farm since that time. Mr. POLLEY died in 1862. Mrs. STONE has had seven children, only two of whom are living; these are her third and fourth children, and were born in West Point - Hiram E., born 1855, and Etta M.; names of children deceased were Royal H., Herbert, John, Ernest and Inez, twins. Mr. STONE is also a native of the State of New York, Mrs. STONE has about 300 acres of land. ISAAC VAN NESS, farmer, Sec. 19; P.O. Lodi; was born in Columbia Co., N.Y., in 1835; son of Peter and Emma VAN NESS; came to West Point with his parents in 1851. He was married to Adeline RICHMOND, daughter of Anson RICHMOND, who came to the town of West Point in the spring of 1855; he died the following year. Mrs. RICHMOND resides with her son-in-law, J. M. PRUYN, of Lodi. Mr. VAN NESS has three children - Walter P., born June 1859; Ella Edna, March 1863, and Richmond, October 1867. Mr. VAN NESS works part of the homestead farm; also owns a farm of 61 acres, where he settled in March 1859. WALTER VAN NESS, farmer, Sec. 19; P.O. Lodi; son of Peter VAN NESS, who was born in the town of Chatham, Columbia Co., N.Y., in 1801; when 18 years of age, he went to Washington, D.C.; was engaged for about five years as overseer of a company of men employed in preparing timber for the United States Navy; he returned to the State of New York, and was engaged in conducting his father's farm till the death of the latter, which occurred in February, 1833; he resided in the State of New York till the spring of 1851, when he came to Columbia Co., and settled in the town of West Point, where he resided till the spring of 1869, when he removed to the village of Lodi. He was married to Emma REED, born in Columbia Co., N.Y., Jan. 11, 1807; they have four children, Isaac, Walter, Martha and Mary. Mr. VAN NESS has been entirely blind since 1878; his general health is good for one of his age. Walter was born in Columbia Co., N.Y., April 1837. He was married to Miss Clara SHURTLIFF, born in the State of New York; they have two children - Frank and Leonard. Mr. VAN NESS resides on the homestead, where his father settled in 1851. Submitted by Carol