Lacrosse-Monroe County WI Archives Biographies.....Howe, Erastus June 22, 1829 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/wi/wifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Roxanne Munns rmunns@uwalumni.com June 15, 2007, 3:41 pm Author: Unknown ERASTUS HOWE was born June 22, 1829, in the town of Cobleskill, Schoharie Co., N. Y. When 4 years old, his mother died, and when he was 8 years old, his father married again. He lived with his father until he was 22 years old, then started in the world for himself. Was married to Mary Jane Burton Oct. 12, 1851; then worked for her father the first winter, and in the spring of 1852 bought 25 acres of timber land, and cut away the brush. His wife, then his only helper, burnt the brush, and in a few days they had a spot ready to build a big shanty in the hemlock timber; cleared 2 acres the first year. In the fall built a comfortable house, with four rooms, and battled on with the old hemlocks. On Feb. 27, 1854, welcomed their first addition to the family. When hearing so much of the Western prairies, they concluded to sell their land, and, with $230, started, April 17, 1855, and landed in La Crosse on the 27th of April, and had $140 left; lost their trunk, and was obliged to use some of the money to buy soom goods before they left town. Then started for La Crosse Valley; in the town of Barre, found a piece of land and bought it. It had a shanty, 10x12, and it was covered with basswood bark, and when it rained, the streams were larger indoors than out. In this they lived till fall; their furniture was a couple of benches made of slabs, and their first table was a stable door, and many a day it was surrounded with new friends to eat the wild game, for they had plenty of that, and they all seemed to enjoy their new home. They had only a few neighbors, and they were of the best. Bull snakes were the only visitors they did not like. Sept. 13, 1855, the oldest daughter was born, and a terrible rain set in, and day after day there was not a dry place in the shanty to lay down, and all that could be done was to sit up and catch the water in dishes. Mr. Howe says: "This is what I called hard times. I had not one dime to fix the shanty; I could not get more than one day's work in a week, and then go four or five miles to get that." That same fall, he cut timber of his own, and built a good log shanty, and made shakes, and covered it, and then added more furniture, and, as Mr. Howe says: "After we had settled in our new shanty, we felt richer than to day in a brick house, and plenty of furniture and all the comforts of life. We could see now and then three or four deer at a time cross from one place of timber to the other; wolves were plenty; if we had fresh meat they knew it, and would get up a great howl, but a couple of rifle-shots would give us peace for awhile." At this time he had no team, but he used his neighbor, Martin Allen's. After struggling along with no team, no tools, and paying 12 per cent on borrowed money, he obtained a loan of Robert Smith, and bought an ox team. He then took 30 acres of land about four miles from his home to work on shares; then paid Mr. Smith, and commenced work on his own land. He hewed out timber, built a barn, hog-pen and corn crib, and then built a good house. Lived six years on this farm, then I bought 38 acres in Bostwick Valley, and moved there. Rented his old farm two years, sold it, and bought 80 acres of land and 40 acres of timber, adjoining the 38. Here they lived eleven years, then moved to West Salem; went in partnership with Robert Rand for one year, making bricks; then went to Sparta, and bought 20 acres, and a brick-yard on it; carried on the brick business for seven years, and in this time purchased a good brick house and lot in the city of Sparta; then purchased 30 acres in the limits of the city, also another 78 acres, and has 2 acres in the city of La Crosse, bought in the fall of 1880; moved back on the farm in Bostwick Valley, where he now lives. Additional Comments: From "History of La Crosse County, Wisconsin", 1881, p. 856 - 857. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wi/lacrosse/bios/howe738gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 4.4 Kb