BIOGRAPHIES: Frank C. IRVINE, Irvington, Dunn County, WI ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, or the legal representative of the contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Roni Fraysier 3 August 2003 ==================================================================== Frank C. lrvine, a former resident of Dunn County, for whom Irvington was named, was born at Fort Madison, Iowa, Oct. 25, 1853, son of George K. and Fanny (Cole) Irvine. The father was a native of Pennsylvania and the mother of the state of Maine. They were married in Pennsylvania and resided for some time in Bradford County, that state, coming west. to Iowa with Capt. William Wilson (later of the Knapp. Stout & Co. Company). In 1854, when the subject of this sketch was a year old, the family came to Dunn County, Wisconsin, settling in the locality now known as lrvington, but then called Bullard Creek. There until 1882 George K. Irvine was engaged in the operation of a sawmill, after which he settled on a farm of about 150 acres one mile to the south. In time he acquired about 500 acres of farm and timber land, in the town of Menomonie. He died on his farm there on March 20, 1901. Before his death his wife had gone to Dakota with her youngest daughter, when the latter married, but later went to live with her eldest daughter in Birmingham, Ala. She died some 10 or 12 years ago. The children of Mr. and Mrs. George K. Irvine were as follows: Maria, now deceased, who married George F. Burton of Birmingham, Ala., and had three children, George, Milly and Florence; Phoebe, wife of K. E. Tuttle of Neswa, Minn., whose children are Edith, Robert, Clara, Lulu, George and Ernest; Ellen, now Mrs. C. B. Bird of Wheeler, Wis., who has five children, Bert C., Grace, William J., Jessie L. and Minnie; Frank Cariton, subject of this sketch; Guy, deceased, who married Luna Curtis of Menomonie and had five children, Fanny, ]ohn, Elbridge, Susan and Bernadetta; Susan, who married Charles Hevener of Menomonie, both being now deceased, having died in Oregon, and whose children were Ray, Florence and Marion; Katie, a twin sister of Frank C., who died at the age of 12 years about 1864; and Abraham, who died in the same year as Katie when four years old. Frank C. Irvine received his early instruction from his sister, as there was no school at or near Irvington until 1872. He attended grammar and high school in Menomonie, however, and then became his father's assistant in the sawmill (a water mill), so continuing until 1882, when the father having settled on his farm, and the milling business being in Frank C.'s hands, the latter bought a steam mill situated on the creek, about 80 rods south of the water mill, and this steam mill he operated until 1890. In that year the Coffin Box & Lumber Co. began operations at Irvington and our subject went to work for them as superintendent, remaining in that position there until 1907, when the company ceased operations at Irvington and Mr. Irvine subsequently and until 1909 was in their employ at Midway, Twin Cities. After that until 1917 he worked independently as a mechanical engineer, doing general jobbing work, including the installation of machinery in mills. Since 1917 he has held the position of mechanical engineer with the J. L. Owens Co. of Minneapolis, manufacturers of agricultural machinery. Mr. Irvine was married March 4, 1876, in Menomonie, Wis., to Ida P. George, who was born June 28, 1858, daughter of Reuben F. and Eliza W. (Wiggins) George, her father being a native of North Carolina and her mother of Freedom, Maine. The latter, born July 31, 1831, came to Columbia County, Wisconsin, and was married to Mr. George (her first husband) on May 17, 1849. Their children were Ella, May, Charles and Ida, of whom Ella, is now deceased. It was in 1858 that Mr. and Mrs. Reuben F. George settled in Fall City, Dunn County, Wis. In October, 1865, she married her second husband Lewis Hughes, and they had a son, Frank, besides one or two children who died young. Mr. and Mrs. Frank C. Irvine have been the parents of eight children, namely Mabel, Royal J., Lewis C., May, Bessie M., Bernice V., Hazel L. and Elsie F., in regard to whom the following data is available: Mabel, born Sept. 11, 1876, married W. D. Adams of Menomonie, where they now live, and has three children, Grace, Ethel and Roy. Royal J., born Sept. 7, 1879, died at the age of 19 years. Lewis C., born March 10, 1881, died when nine years old. May, born May 11, 1884, married R. K. Welch of Minneapolis and has one child, Virginia. Bessie M. born Aug. 28, 1889, married A. W. Lowell of Minneapolis and has one child, Jeanette. Bernice V., born July 19, 1891, died unmarried on Jan. 1, 1919. Hazel L., born Oct. 6, 1895, married Charles C. Clark of Minneapolis; no children. Elsie F., born Feb. 6, 1899, is now Mrs. L. G. Steinmetz of Minneapolis and has two children, Gloria F. and Jack L. Mr. Irvine has always been a Republican in politics and when residing in Dunn County served as school clerk. His fraternal affiliations are with the Modern Woodmen. Mrs. Irvine is a member of the Presbyterian Church. -Transcribed from the "History of Dunn County Wisconsin, 1925"