Biographies: Joseph W. SINGLETON, Eau Claire, Eau Claire Co., 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: Nance Sampson 13 December 2000 ==================================================================== Joseph W. Singleton, a prominent member of the Eau Claire county bar, was born in Louisville, St. Lawrence county, New York, September 8, 1861, son of Peter and Ellen (McCarthy) Singleton, both natives of St. Lawrence county. Thomas Singleton, paternal grandfather of Joseph W., was a native of England and followed the trade of ship carpenter prior to coming to the United States, and was a soldier in the Napoleonic War. Emigrating to America, he became one of the pioneers of St. Lawrence county, New York, where he engaged in farming and lived there until his death. The maternal grandfather, Dennis McCarthy, was a native of County Mayo, Ireland, and was also a pioneer of St. Lawrence county, settling on the Long Sault Island, where he resided until his death by drowning in Sault rapids. Peter Singleton, father of Joseph, was a farmer by occupation, and spent his whole life in the county where he was born, and died at the age of seventy-two years. Joseph W. was educated in the common schools of St. Lawrence county, the Jesuit College, and the Georgetown University of Washington, where he was graduated with the degree of bachelor of philosophy and bachelor of laws in 1888. He also afterward taught school for one year in the St. Joseph College, at Burlington, Vt. and in October, 1889, was admitted to the bar of that state and practiced his profession in Burlington three years. He came west, and on January 4, 1892, located in Eau Claire, where he has since carried on a successful practice of law. The first two years after coming to Eau Claire he was connected with the office of the late Thomas F. Frawley, and on February 1, 1894, became the first tenant in the Ingram Block where he has since had his office. Mr. Singleton was married to Miss Ellen Francis, daughter of Patrick and Bridget (O'Brien) Gleason, of Cylon, St. Croix county, Wisconsin, and four children had been born to them, viz.: Joseph W., Jr., and Ellen Geraldine, twins; Lydia F. and Paul G. Mr. Singleton is a prominent member of St. Patrick's Church, the Catholic Knights of Columbus. He served as city attorney of Eau Claire from 1895 to 1897 and represented the Sixth Ward as alderman in the Common Council for six years, and was municipal judge for four years, and in politics is a democrat. --Taken from "The History of Eau Claire County, 1914, Past & Present", page 291.