Contributed to the Pierce County WIGenWeb Project by Nance Sampson nsampson@spacestar.net
@2000 by Nance Sampson

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Submitted by Debbie Barrett June 13, 2001
mrsgrinnin@home.com

JAMES COLLETT, farmer, P. O. Rock Elm, Pierce county, was born in Bradford, 
England, and is one of three children born to Samuel and Hannah E. (Mortimer)
Collett.  His brother, George, died in London, England, and his sister, 
Sarah (Mrs. Bashaw), lives near Arkansaw, Wis.  James Collett came to America
at the age of twenty-one years, and first settled in Waukesha county, Wis.,
where he engaged in farming for three years.  He then went to Dodge county,
where he married, March 2, 1862, Miss Mary A., daughter of Levi and Angeline
Holcomb.  He then removed to his present home and was the fourth family to
locate here.  The township was then a wilderness, and they were compelled
to fell the heavy timber and clear up a farm.  March 9, 1865 he enlisted in
the Fiftieth Wisconsin volunteer infantry, and went to St. Louis, thence to
Fort Rice and the Indian territory, where they fought the Indians.  He was
discharged June 4, 1866, returned home and took up pioneer life again. 
Provisions were high and hard to get.  They made sugar in the spring, then
joined with the neighbors and went "outside," as they termed it, and sold the
sugar at eighteen cents per pound, or exchanged it for provisions, paying
eight dollars per hundred weight for flour and one dollar per bushel for
oats.  Owing to his perseverance and hard labor he now has a well improved
farm, and a good brick residence.

Mr. Collett and wife are the parents of ten children, namely: Sarah J. (Mrs.
Raab), living in Red Wing, Minn; Hannah E. (Mrs. Jackson), living in Olivet,
Wis.; Edwin J., Minnie A., Fred L., Mattie, Albert H., William A., Hattie B.
and Vida L., all living at home.  In politics Mr. Collett is a republican, 
has served as assessor one term and as school clerk and director six years.
He is a member of Custer Post, G. A. R., in which he has been adjutant, and
now holds the office of quartermaster.  He is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church, and enjoys the respect of a large circle of friends.

--Taken from the "Historical and Biographical Album of the Chippewa Valley
Wisconsin Including A General Historical Sketch of the Chippewa Valley;
Ancestral Records fo Leading Families; Biographies of Representative Citizens,
Past and Present; and Portraits of Prominent Men.  Edited by George Forrester.
Published in Chicago, Illinois by A. Warner. Publisher. 1891-2. Page 632