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 975

STEDMAN S. NEWTON, dealer in musical instruments,
sewing machines and jewelry, Columbus; was born in
Tioga Co., Penn., in November 1850.  His father, Lewis
NEWTON, was a native of Vermont; his mother, Emily
EGBERT, was born in New York; his father and
grandfather John D. EGBERT, came with their families
as emigrants to Wisconsin, and landed at the house of
Mr. Josiah FOSTER, in the town of Arlington, Columbia
Co., in April 1854; they soon located in that town,
and Mr. EGBERT was, for several years, a prominent
citizen of that town; he died there about 1862 or
1863; he did much in the way of making deeds and
drawing papers of various kinds for the early
settlers, and was a man to whom all looked for
counsel.  Mr. and Mrs. NEWTON had a family of six
children - three sons and three daughters; three of
them now live in this County.  Stedman S., the subject
of this sketch, was the fourth child; and spent his
time on his father's farm and at district school till
1868, removing then to Poynell, where in 1870, he
began clerking in a drug store, and also had charge of
the post office at that place; in 1871 he entered the
State University and completed his studies there in
1872; returning then to Columbia Co., he taught at
Dekorra for a term of five months; in the spring of
1873, he began dealing in machines and musical
instruments at Poynette and Lodi; in the fall of 1876,
removed the main portion of his business to Columbus,
though he still continues those points as branch
houses to the business here; he added a stock of
jewelry to his trade in the fall of 1878, and has
since carried on the three lines of trade.  In
February 1877, he was married to Miss Della, daughter
of Lewis and Emeline CAVE, a native of Staten Island,
but an emigrant to Poynette, Wis., in 1854.  Mr. and
Mrs. NEWTON are members of the M. E. Church; he is a
member of the Masonic Fraternity.

GERD H. NIEMEYER, farmer, Secs. 22, and 27; P.O.
Columbus; was born at Hanover, Germany, in September
1820.  His mother, Dorothea ROLLS, died when he was
only 5 years old, and his father, Gerd. H. NIEMEYER,
when he was 8.  An orphan boy at that early age, he
was forced to leave all his studies and seek some
employment by which he could earn his own living; he
went to live with a neighbor farmer, where he learned
that honest industry is the true source of wealth, and
upon that principle he has ever acted; he emigrated to
America in 1848, and located at Milwaukee, Wis., where
he followed laboring for five years, and then removed
to Portage, where he lived two and one-half years; a
year later, he sold that farm and bought one of 120
acres on Secs. 17 and 20, where he lived for two
years; disposing then of that, he bought another of
100 acres on Sec. __, and made his home there till
1876, whence he removed to his present one of 140
acres on Secs. 22 and 27, where he has since lived. He
was married in 1853, to Miss Mary ALFS, a native of
Germany, but an emigrant to America in 1848; their
children are Eliza, Mary and Fred.  They are members
of the Lutheran Church.

ASA PERKINS, farmer, Sec. 19; P.O. Columbus; was born
in the town of Ira, Cayuga Co., N.Y., in 1826; he was
educated there in the common schools, and devoted his
time to farming there till 1849, when he emigrated to
Wisconsin, and entered a farm of 120 acres on Sec. 19,
town of Columbus, Columbia Co., in June, having just 2
shillings left after paying the purchase money; he
returned to New York in the following fall for the
winter, and a year from that time, came again to
Wisconsin, and located at Janesville, where he worked
by the month on a farm for two years, after which he
made his home there most of the time for another year;
he settled permanently on his farm in 1853, and has
increased it to 166 acres.  Mr. PERKINS is one of the
committee on the extension of the Northwestern Railway
from Granville to Lodi, Wis., and has taken an active
part in the enterprise; in 1870, he took a trip to
California, thence via the coast to Portland, Ore.,
and up the Columbia River to Waulula, and from there
by stage to Walla Walla, Washington Territory, whence,
after a fortnight's sojourn, he returned the same way
to his home in Wisconsin.  He was married in 1853, to
Miss Sarah C., daughter of Reuben and Nancy GEORGE, a
native of Indiana, but an emigrant to Wisconsin with
her father in 1847, her mother having previously died
in Illinois; their children are: Mary A., born in
1854, and married to Stephen B. MARVIN in November
1875, and now lives at Redwood, Minn.; Randall K.,
born in 1856, and now at Redwood, Minn.; Francis F.,
born in 1858, now at home; Charles M. born in 1860,
and Arthur R., born in 1866.  Mr. and Mrs. PERKINS are
members of the M. E. Church.

JOHN PETERS, farmer, Secs. 22 and 15; P.O. Columbus;
was born in Prussia in 1817; he came to America in
1853, and lived five years at Milwaukee, Wis., and in
1857, he came to the town of Columbus, Columbia Co.,
where in 1857 he bought a farm of 60 acres; selling
that in 1866, he bought his present one of 120 acres
in Secs. 22 and 15.  He was married in 1850, to Miss
Louisa HARMS, a native of Germany; their children are
Henry, Charles, William, Mary, and one adopted
daughter, Emma.  They are members of the Lutheran
Church.

Submitted by Carol