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 -
977-978

THOMAS SMITH, farmer, Sec. 14; P.O. Columbus; was born
in the County of Suffolk, England, in 1809; he
followed farming in his native country till 1832;
emigrated then to America, and landed at Quebec, May
1st of that year, and afterward located in Upper
Canada, where he worked at farm labor till 1836;
coming then to Michigan, where he remained but a short
time, on account of having, unfortunately, lost his
arm; he next went to Rochester, N.Y., and there was
engaged in keeping a restaurant, from 1837 to 1846;
when he came to Columbia Co., Wis., and located on a
farm in the town of Hampden, Columbia Co., where he
followed farming till 1861, when he removed to a farm
of 160 acres on Secs. 14 and 23, town of Columbus.  He
was married in 1853 to Asenath LASKEY, of the town of
Hampden, Columbia Co., Wis., but a native of Chenango
Co., N.Y.; their children are Jerome H., Ellen M.,
Jesse L. and Charles T.  Mrs. SMITH is a member of the
M. E. Church.

Page 978

JACOB SMITH, merchant tailor, Columbus; was born in
Yates Co., N.Y., May 20, 1815, son of Col. J. J. and
Nancy SMITH; his father was a native of New York, but
his mother was born in Philadelphia; when 16 years of
age he entered upon an apprenticeship at the tailor's
trade, in Eddytown, Yates Co.; one and one-half years
later, he went to Dundee, N.Y., and there continued
his trade for ten years; in June 1843, with his
brother, T. C. and Lewis SMITH, he landed at
Milwaukee, as an emigrant to Wisconsin, and came
thence to Columbus, where they arrived a week later;
he invested in real estate and located on a farm near
the village, and for three years devoted his time to
farming; in 1846, he opened the first merchant
tailoring establishment in Columbus, and has continued
that business most of the time since.  In May 1835, he
was married to Miss Nancy, daughter of Joseph and
Catharine IRETON, of Dundee, Yates Co., N.Y.,; they
had an infant son, deceased.  They are members of the
Presbyterian Church.  Mr. SMITH is a member of the
Masonic Fraternity.

JOHN SWARTHOUT, druggist, Columbus; was born in Yates
Co., N.Y., in 1819; he emigrated to Wisconsin in the
fall of 1843, and located at Kenosha, and a year later
(1844), he came to Columbus, Columbia (then Portage)
Co., returning in September 1848, to Buffalo, N.Y., he
purchased the first stock of drugs ever brought to
Columbia Co., Wis.; reaching Columbus again, he opened
the first drug store of this place, and has ever since
continued in that business.  He was elected the first
Tax Collector of Columbia Co. in 1847-48, he was
appointed Postmaster at Columbus, by President Grant,
in 1872, and has been re-appointed to that office at
the expiration of each term since that time.  In 1853
he was married to Miss Mary A., daughter of Hiram and
Sarah SWIFT, a native of Vermont; they had one
daughter, Eva, now deceased.  Mrs. SWARTHOUT is a
member of the Universalist Church.

CHARLES H. THOMAS, farmer and horse farrier, Sec. 8;
P.O. Columbus; was born at Alabama, Genesee Co., N.Y.
in 1840, and came with his parents, Merrit A. and
Julia A. THOMAS, to Wisconsin, in 1847, and located on
a farm in the town of Columbus, Columbia Co., where
his parents lived till 1876, and then removed to
Albert Lee, Minn., where they now reside.  Mr. THOMAS
made his home with his parents on the farm till 18
years old, and then began farming and trading for
himself; in 1860, he began the profession of a horse
farrier, and has successfully practiced it through
this section of the country most of the time since; in
1863, he bought a farm of 55 acres on Sec. 8, town of
Columbus, which has since been his home.  He joined
the United States service in 1864, and was on detailed
duty through the Southern States as a veterinary
surgeon till February 1865, when he returned to his
home in Columbus.  He was married in 1859 to Miss
Martha E., daughter of Charles LOVELESS, of the town
of Columbus, but a native of the town of Maria, Essex
Co., N.Y., and an immigrant to Wisconsin in 1851;
their children are Merrit, Clara A., Edwin S., Melvin
J. and Nellie.

Submitted by Carol