BIOGRAPHIES:  James FLEMING, Pepin, Pepin Co., WI

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Submitted by Nance Sampson, Pepin Co. Archives File Manager on 19 November 2004
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**Posted for informational purposes only - submitter is not related to the
subject of this biography and has no further information.

James Fleming (deceased) was born at Kittanning, Armstrong county,
Pa., August 31, 1816, and died at Pepin, May 14, 1887.  His parents'
names were John and Sarah (Everett) Fleming.  The Flemings are of Irish
descent.  James received but little education, and at nineteen years of
age began life as pilot on a lumber raft, running on the Allegheny and
Ohio rivers.  In 1837 he made a trip as far as New Orleans.  He was
married December 27, 1838, to Miss Susan, daughter of Henry and Betsy
(Gumbert) Pence.  She was born March 31, 1820.  Seven children blessed
this union, namely:  John, born March 23, 1840; Nancy J., November 6,
1841, died December 7, 1845; Elizabeth, December 14, 1842, died
December 2, 1845; Thomas M., October 13, 1844, died December 1, 1845;
Milton, April 6, 1846; Eliza A. (Mrs. F. Dunn) June 19, 1847; Sarah E.,
February 27, 1849, died  February 2, 1890.  Mr. Fleming worked at
carpenter work, in a distillery and at farming until 1848, when he
removed to Jefferson county, Pa., and bought a farm and engaged in
lumbering.  In 1854 he made a trip to Pepin and decided to move thither
with his family.  The following year he loaded his goods and family
into a wagon and started to drive to Wisconsin.  One horse became lame
and he then shipped his outfit on a steamboat from Pittsburgh, paying
all is ready money for their fare to Dubuque, Iowa.  On the route he
was seized with cholera and landed penniless at Davenport.  A part of
the wagon had been miscarried, so they were unable to proceed by team. 
Riding the horses out a few miles they were met and befriended by a
farmer, who kindly entertained the family, gave Mr. Fleming medicine,
which soon caused him to recover, and advanced a small sum of money. 
The balance of his wagon having arrived in the meantime, the family
drove to Le Claire, Iowa, where Mr. Fleming got work teaming, with the
proceeds of which the journey was continued to Guttenburg, Iowa.  Here
he took passage by steamer to Read's Landing, Minn., agreeing to leave
the goods as security for a portion of their fare, which was advanced
by a merchant at Read's on their arrival, who took security on the
goods.  Crossing to Pepin, Mr. Fleming began teaming, redeemed his
goods, and the following year, 1856, made a claim on section seventeen,
township twenty-three, range fourteen, built a log house, and continued
to make improvements until his death.  Mr. Fleming was a member of the
Protestant Methodist church, and an active, enterprising man, respected
by all who knew him.

John Fleming, a farmer at Pepin, the eldest of the children, was born
at Bethlehem, Pa., and attended the district school a part of the time
until nineteen years old.  He came to Pepin with his parents in 1855
and began to work at twenty-one years of age as a farm laborer.  Soon
after he began supplying steamboats with cord-wood.  He was married
August 21, 1862, to Miss Mary J., daughter of Aaron and Mary (Brown)
Littell.  Mrs. Fleming was born at Presque Isle, Mich., September 26,
1848.  They have had ten children, namely:  William H., born August 13,
1863; Milton E., May 23, 1865; John F., December 10, 1866, died
December 13, 1867; Clara J. (Mrs. G. Wheeler), September 8, 1868;
Eugene Bert, February 3, 1871; Effie May, May 24, 1873; Truman,
February 20, 1875; James C., May 11, 1879; Arminda I., June 8, 1883,
and Sherman A., May 10, 1886.  In 1862 Mr. Fleming bought a farm in
section seventeen, and in 1876 another where he now resides, on section
twenty, township twenty-three, range fourteen and now owns 410 acres,
all in a good state of cultivation.  He has begun breeding Short-horn
cattle and Poland China hogs.  He makes a specialty of dealing in cord-
wood, ties, etc.  He is a noted hunter and sportsman and has killed
more deer than any other man in the southern part of Pepin county.  Mr.
Fleming is a republican in politics, and is giving his children the
advantage of a good education.

-Transcribed from the "Historical & Biographical Album of the Chippewa
Valley Wisconsin, 1891-2," pages 704-705.


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