OCONTO
COUNTY
Wisconsin
FAMILIES and BIOGRAPHIES
.HALE .
Researched, written and
contributed by descendant: Mike
Churchill
Leonard
Hale,
son of Jinks Hale,
born in Trenton, Oneida County, New York, April 21, 1811, died
probably Oconto County, Wisconsin on August 25, 1892 |
Levi Fredrick Hale,
son of Leonard and grandson of Jinks Hale,
born Thresa, Jeffereson County, New York, April 19 1853, died
Crivitz, Wisconsin, November 7, 1938 |
Adelia Jaquith Hubbard Hobbs,
born
September 2, 1839 in New York,
died
Hinkley, Illinois, August 1, 1891.
Daughter of
Bejamin and Almirea (Scofield) Jaquith.
Pictured
with her second husb and, George Hobbs of Hinkley, Illinois
|
Left:
Adelia Jaquith Hubbard Hobbs,
born
September 2, 1839 in New York,
died
Hinkley, Illinois, August 1, 1891.
Daughter of
Bejamin and Almirea (Scofield) Jaquith.
Right:
Rose Altha Hale Wagner,
born May 5, 1848, McComb, St. Lawrence County, New York,
died December 4, 1891 in Hinkley, Illinois
Daughter of J.S. and Sophie Hale |
(1). JINKS HALE,
born probably Massachusetts (as per 1850 census, Morristown, Saint
Lawrence Co. N.Y.) [hereafter, "Morristown"] Aug. 10, 1790, died Oconto
Co. Wis. Aug. 11, 1855 (g.s. "ae. 65 yrs. 1 day") married probably
Herkimer or Oneida Co. N.Y. ca. 1810, Catherine Ames, she born probably
Townshend, Vt. Mar. 13, 1793, died Oconto Co. Wis. July 12, 1858 (g.s.
"ae. 65 yrs. 3 mo's. 29 days") almost certainly the daughter of John and
Thankful (Franklin) Ames of Townshend, Vt. and Trenton, Oneida Co. N.Y..
Jinks and Catherine are buried at the "Fire Cemetary" in Peshtigo, Wis.
The first known record of Jinks and Catherine
Hale is from Trenton, Oneida Co. N.Y. where their
son Leonard was born in 1811 (Fam. Bib. Rec.). Jinks Hale also is listed
as a land owner in that town in 1814 (Annals and Recollections of Oneida
Co., Pomeroy Jones, 1851). They are in Antwerp, Jefferson Co. N.Y. for
the census of 1820 and 1830; not found in any census in 1840; and in
Morristown for the census of 1850, #311, as:
Jinks Hale, 64, farmer,
Real estate $1422, b. Mass
Catherine, 56, b. Vt.
Lewis, 25, b. N.Y.
Lucy, 14, b. N.Y.
Levi, 5, b. N.Y.
Jonathan S. and Sophia Hale
Mr. Jonathan Hale was the
first chairman of the Oconto County Board of Supervisors when
the county was established in 1851 |
Shortly after 1850 Jinks and Catherine Hale moved from Morristown
to Oconto Co. Wis. where sons Levi and Jonathan had
already settled. One of the possessions they brought was a dropleaf
table now (2010) owned by descendant Florence Churchill of Amberg,
Wis. with a paper attached to a drawer saying, "This
table was handmade in 1812 for Catherine
Ames, a bride, mother of Leonard
Hale.
"The raising of sheep was
encouraged in every way.... and yarn was made by a good many. Mrs.
Judkins, Mrs. Huntington and Grandmother Hale had large wheels
which came from the east, and they spun for their neighbors." (A
Story of Pittsfield and Suamico, Mrs. Lizzie R. Johnstone, [1928]).
Children of Jinks
Hale and Catherine Ames, surname Hale:
(2). i, Leonard Hale,
b. Apr. 21, 1811,
m. (1) Martha Randall;
m. (2). Almira (Scofield) Jaquith.
ii. Elizabeth
Betsy Hale possible
daughter,,
b. Trenton, N.Y. May 15, 1815
d. Jefferson Co. N.Y. Oct. 29, 1883. (Ancestry.com).
(3). iii. Jonathan
Sanford Hale,
b. June 2, 1819
m. Sophia ( ).
(4). iv. Levi Hale,
b. July 13, 1821,
m. Hannah Windross.
(5). v. Lewis Hale,
b. Oct. 19, 1825,
m. (1). Delia
Scofield; m. (2). Olive
Soper.
vi. Lucy Hale possible
daughter, who, at 14 years of age appears in the 1850 census for
Morristown in the houshold of Jinks Hale, (see above). However it
is also posible that "Lucy" is actually Catherine
Melissa Hale, daughter of Jinks's son (and neighbor)
Leonard. Catherine would have been 14 in 1850 and is not listed in
Leonard's household for that year. Lewis Hales wife Delia died in
1847, leaving him with a son, Levi, who in 1850 was 5 years old and
living, along with his father, in the household of Jinks Hale. It is
plausable that Catherine Melissa might have been called in to help
care for her young cousin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SECOND
GENERATION
(2). LEONARD 2 HALE (Jinks,
1),
b. Trenton, Oneida Co. N.Y. April 21, 1811,
d. probably Oconto Co. Wis. (g.s. unknown) August 25, 1892. (fam.
Bible)
Married
(1) Martha Randall -
prob. Jefferson, or St. Lawrence Co. N.Y. 1834
b. unknown, Aug. 11, 1808,
d. Morristown, June 28, 1836. (ibid)
(2) Almira
(Scofield) Jaquith - prob. Morristown,
Sept. 1842, "by Justice Parish," ,
b. poss. Deerfield, Oneida Co. N.Y. Nov. 16, 1811,
d. W. Pensaukee (now Abrams) Oconto Co. Wis. Apr. 19, 1882,
(fam. Bible) bur. Brookside Cem. daughter of John
W. and Seviah (Weaver) Scofield, (Weaver Genealogy), and widow
of Benjamin Jaquith.
Notes on
Leonard Hale:
Leonard Hale family in the 1850 census for Morristown, # 309 as:
Leonard Hale, 39 Laborer, no real estate, b. N.Y.
Almira Hale, 39 b. N.Y.
Amelia (Sally?) Hale, 17 b. N.Y.
Phebe Jane Hale,13 b. N.Y.
Delia Ann Hale, 10 b. N.Y.
Winfield Hale, 4 b. N.Y.
Mary E. Hale, 2 b. N.Y.
Leonard is also enumerated on the Pittsfield, Brown Co. Wis. 1850
census, occupation "miller" living in the household of Jonathan
Sanford Hale.
By 1870 Leonard Hale and his family had permanently removed to
Oconto Co. as per. the census of that year, as:
Hale, Leonard, 59, farmer, real estate $800.00, b. N.Y.
Hale, Almira, 58, keeping house, b. N.Y.
Hale, Winfield, 24, farm laborer, b. N.Y.
Hale Levi, 17, farm laborer, b. N.Y.
Hale, John, 12, at school, b. N.Y.
The Hale family lived next to the Railroad tracks on Sampson Rd.,
Abrams, on 12 acres of land bordering the farm of Almira Hale's daughter
(from her first marriage to Benjamin
Jaquith) Mrs.Phebe
(Jaquith) Rowell.
Notes on Almira (Scofield)
(Jaquith) Hale - second wife of Leonard Hale
Almira was a pioneer of Oconto Co. in her own right and left
descendants in the area from her first marriage as follows:
Almira Scofield
m. (1). Benjamin
7Jaquith (Benj. 5-6, Abraham 1-4), (Jaquith Genealogy) Nov.
8, 1831.
d. Benjamin Jaquith died: Sycamore, Ohio, 1840.
Children of Almira
Scofield and Bejamin Jaquith were:
(1). Phebe Jaquith,
b. (death rec. at Oconto courthouse says Canada) Mar.
30, 1837,
d. Oconto Co. July 24, 1908, bur. Brookside Cem.
m. Caleb
Rowell - lived on a farm in Abrams on the corner of
highway 141 and Sampson Rd.
Children of Phebe (Jaquith) and Caleb Rowell: Oscar, Mary,
Fannie, Hosia, Orville, Francenia, Ambrouise, Winfield, and Delmar.
(2). Adelia Jaquith,
b. Sep. 2, 1839,
d. Hinkley, Ill, Aug. 1, 1891,
m. (1) Levi
7 Hubbard (Ira 6, William 4-5, Samuel 2-3,
George 1),N.Y. state, Nov. 9, 1857,
Children of
Adelia Jaquith and Levi Hubbard:
i. Florence
Hubbard,
b. Brier Hill, St. Lawrence Co.
N.Y., June 22, 1858,
m. (1). William
R. Waite, Philadelphia, Jefferson Co. N.Y., Feb. 5,
1876,,
m. (2). Winfield
Hale,
m. (3). Warren
Buckman.
ii. George
Hubbard,
m. Ann
Zack, they lived in/near Seattle, Wash. - children, Arline,
Ruth, Mary, Florence, and Georgene.
iii. Warren
Hubbard,
b. Apr. 10, 1863,
d. Oconto Co or Marinette Co.
Mar. 18, 1889 of pheumonia after falling into the Peshtigo river
while logging.
iv. Arthur Hubbard,
b. 1870, d. 1959,
m. Helen
Fahs,
bur. Hinkley, Ill.
m. (2) George
Hobbs at "Hales Camp" in Crivitz, June 24, 1885,
(by Rev. Cole of Marinette) of Hinkley, Illinois - no children from
2nd marriage.
(3). Sally Jaquith,
m. Aaron
Stephenson N.Y. state, Jan. 1, 1852, , she
remained in Morristown, at least one child born to this couple, a
daughter, Sarah.
In 1883, a year after Almira Hale's death, son, Levi Hale,
purchaced, for $600.00, the 12 acre lot and house from his fellow heirs,
namely, Leonard Hale, Mrs. Phebe Rowell, Mrs. Adelia Hubbard, Mrs. Sally
Stephenson, John Hale, and Winfield Hale, (Oconto Co. land rec.).
According to family accounts, when a fire destroyed the Rowell
house (date unknown) the former Leonard Hale house was moved east of its
original location to the neighboring Rowell property to replace it. This
large two story house was still standing until ca. 2000 when it was torn
down to make room for the expansion of highway 141 to four lanes.
Descendancy Chart:
Leonard Hale
Child of Leonard Hale and Martha Randall:
(6). Catherine
Melissa Hale
b. Morristown, Jan. 10, 1836,
m. Albert
Hamilton Buckman.
Children of
Leonard Hale and Almira (Scofield) Jaquith.
i. Benjamin
Franklin Hale,
b. McComb, St. Lawrence Co. N.Y., Jan. 6, 1843,
d. Morristown, May 15, 1846. (Fam. Bible)
(7). ii. Winfield
Scott Hale,
b. Morristown, Jan. 6, 1846,
m. Florence
(Hubard) Waite. (ibid)
iii. Mary
Elizabeth Hale,
b. Morristown, Nov. 7, 1848,
d. Thresa, Jefferson Co. "ae. 11 yrs." (ibid)
(8). iv. Levi
Fredrick Hale,
b. Thresa N.Y. Apr. 19, 1853,
m. (1). Anne
M. Buckman,
m. (2). Mary
Weinhart, (ibid).
v. John
Henry Hale,
b. Thresa, N.Y. Nov. 24, 1857,
d. Peshtigo, Wis. Aug. 7, 1886, (ibid) (Marinette
Co. v.r.'s)
bur. Peshtigo "Fire Cem."
m. Rebecca
Utter,
b. Canada, June 22, 1862,
d. Feb. 20, 1913, dau. of John
and Liza (Bolen) Utter.
m. (2nd husband of Rebecca Utter Hale) Job
Place, Aug. 9, 1890,of Peshtigo.
Child
of John Hale and Rebecca Utter:
i. Liza
Utter,
b. prob. Peshtigo, 1886,
d. 1919,
m. Henry
Alswager, children: Verne, John, Ralph, Russell, George,
Frances, and Franklin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SECOND
GENERATION
(3). JONATHAN
SANFORD 2 HALE, (Jinks, 1)
b. prob. Jefferson Co. N.Y. June 2, 1819,
d. prob. Abrams, Wis., June 7, 1872,
m. Sophia ( )
- prob. Jefferson or St. Lawrence Co. N.Y. .
Notes on
Jonathan Sanford Hale:
Jonathan Hale is called "of McComb" St. Lawrence Co. N.Y. in 1850
when he sold eight acres of land in Morristown to Richard Chapman (St.
Lawrence Co. deeds). Jonathan also enumerated in the 1850 census of
Oconto Co.
Below, in reference to the saw mill at Pensaukee owned by H.B.
Hinsdale:
"During this year (1850) Mr.
Gardner finished the mill and the winter of 1850-1 the first stock of
logs was got out by J.S. and Levi Hale, contractors, the mill started in
the spring of 1851, with two muley saws and an old fachioned siding
machine." (Recollections of Oconto Co. pp. 14,
George Hall, Bicentenial, 1976).
"J.S. Hale and O.W. Farley
settled this year (1856) in what is now known as West Pensaukee." (ibid)
Jonathan Hale lived in W. Pensaukee (Abrams) where he had a farm.
He was chairman of the first board of supervisors for the newly formed
county of Oconto which first met on July, 5, 1852. Jonathan, also called
Sanford or J.S. Hale., and wife are buried at Brookside Cem. Oconto Co.
Children of Jonathan Hale and
Sophia ( ) Hale.
i. William
Edgar Hale,
b. N.Y. ca. 1843,
d. Atlanta Ga., July 21, 1864. Enlisted, 12th Wis. Co. F.,
killed in action in the Civil War. After the War his mother applied for
a pension in his name. Such record says he was shot through the head and
died instantly. He was killed the same day, and apparently in the same
battle, as several others from Oconto Co. who were in the unit known as
the "River Sackers."
ii. Rose
Altha Hale,
b. McComb, St. Lawrence Co. N.Y. May 5, 1848 (town of McComb
births),
d. Hinkley, Illinois, Dec. 4, 1891,
m. Hiram D.
Wagner - W. Pensaukee, Dec. 22, 1870,,
b. Heuvelton, N.Y. Dec. 17, 1836,
d. Hinkley, Ill, Jan. 1, 1921, a Civil War vet. and son
of Freeman and Kate Wagner.
Levi F. Hale and E. Meyers witnessed the marriage as performed by Hugh
Yarwood of Oconto.
Children
of Rose Altha Hale and Hiram Wagner:
i. Stella
E. Wagner,
b. July, 7, 1872,
d. May, 24, 1895,
bur. Hinkley, Illinois.
ii. Edna
Wagner,
b. ca. 1875,
m. (
) Theilens, children: Wagner, Alexis, and Edna.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SECOND
GENERATION
(4). LEVI 2 HALE,
(Jinks, 1)
b. Jefferson Co. N.Y., July 13, 1821,
d. Peshtigo, Wis. Dec. 21, 1895,
bur. "Fire Cem." at Peshtigo,
m. Hannah Windross
b. England, Oct. 10, 1819,
d. Peshtigo, Dec. 2, 1911, dau. of John
and Joanna Windross of Hamilton, England and Oak
Orchard, Oconto Co. Wis.
Notes on Levi
Hale:
They and their children survived the great Peshtigo Fire of 1871.
From the Peshtigo Times, Oct. 6, 1971:
"The largest loss of property during the fire, with the exception
of the Peshtigo Company was sustained by Levi Hale, who lost the
Peshtigo House and part of its furniture, several dwellings and
contents, hay, wagons, carriages, horses and cattle totalling an
estimated $30,000.
Hale was a builder who rented several homes in Peshtigo to other
famillies and had built the Peshtigo house in 1859 and ran it for
several years.
After having lost all his property he became a farmer and stock
raiser on the property later known as the John Bell farm or Reber's
property. It is now owned by Ray pavelin. The Hale road was named after
the land's original farmer, Levi Hale.
Hale, born in Jefferson Co. N.Y. and grew up in St. Lawrence Co.
came to the Menominee River in the fall of 1841. He spent the next year
prospecting in the copper mines of Lake Superior. In 1846, his traveling
brought him to Peshtigo where he followed lumbering and various kinds of
work until he built the hotel.
Hannah Windross became his bride in 1856 and they had two
daughters, Martha and Katherine. She was an immigrant from England and
her brother, Dr. William Windross, started a medical practice in
Peshtigo in 1877.
The youngest girl, called Kittie by her family, was twelve years
old when the fire struck and her daughter, Mrs Cecil Engles, of
Marinette recorded the story of that family's flight from the flames.
The family was apparently living at their farm at Peshtigo Harbor when
the fire struck.
According to that account, the quiet of the Sunday supper table was
interrupted Oct. 8, 1871, when Hale suddenly excused himself and went
upstairs to peer at the fire from the west window.
'You better pack the valuables because I suspect trouble before
morning,' he announced to his wife upon returning to the table. He then
went out the door to inspect the barnes.
Hannah immediately began packing the dresses she had made for an
anticipated trip back to her homoeland. She also grabbed a pail of over
a thousand buttons which she had saved as a little girl. But her
preparations were interrupted by sudden shouts from Hale.
'Get to the creek or be burned.'
The mother and children ran to the creek, carrying what they could
only to drop it when crossing the creek. Fire was everywhere and the
creek outlining the barn was their only escape.
They sat that night in the creek with large pans from the kitchen
over their heads for protection from cinders. Ocassionally they lifted
them to catch a breath of air.
At last morning came, and they emerged from their all night bath,
wet, cold and hungry. They went to the stone basement of what had been
their home. Hale built a bonfire from the remains of the back fence to
dry their wet clothes.
Meanwhile he went to the village to discover all his buildings were
destroyed. His consolation was that, while many of his friends had lost
members of their family, he had lost none."
From the Peshtigo Correspondent, Dec. 21, 1895:
"Levi Hale, the oldest settler of Marinette county, died at his
home in the village at 11 o'clock Saturday night, of general debility at
the age of 74. His death was not unexpected as he had been confined to
the house for nearly a year. He was concious to the last and knew that
the final summons was coming to call him to the unknown beyond.
The deceased was born at Elmira, St. Lawrence Co. N.Y. (probably
incorrect as place of birth) July 13, 1821. A portion of his boyhood was
spent as a sailor of the great lakes and at the age of 22 he came west
to Menominee and shortly after to Peshtigo, at that time the abode of
Indians and wild animals.
By energy, perseverance and days of toil he secured a comopetence
by logging in the winter and working upon his large farm on the bay
shore in the summer.
He built the first hotel known as the Peshtigo House on the site pf
the present Corbett House, and for a short time was its proprietor.
He suffered a heavy financial loss in the great fire of '71.
He was well known throught the country and his knowledge and
anecdotes of early history of Peshtigo and its first settlers, connected
with a retentive memory, made him the historian of the village and an
entertaining story teller who will be sadly missed from the ranks of the
old settlers and by the rising generation.
He leaves a widow and two daughters. Mrs. Jas. L. Murphy, of
Marinette, and Mrs. L.E. Leblond, of Peshtigo, and a number of
grandchildren to mourn his demise. The funeral services were held at his
home this afternoon at two o'clock and interment took place in the old
village cemetery adjoining which he had lived for years."
Children of Levi and
Hannah (Windross) Hale.
i. Martha E. Hale,
b. Peshtigo, Wis. Jan 21, 1857,
d. Marinette, Wis. May 29, 1924,
m. James
L. Murphy Marinette, July 4, 1878,
b. Franklin Co. N.Y., 1849 and came to
Peshtigo in 1872. Mr. Murphy was first elected sheriff of Marinette Co.
in 1884 and to the state assmbly in 1886. Children: Edward Hale, Robert Hale,
and Frances Hale,
and one daughter, Francis
Murphy, who d. 1895, her obituary appeared in a local (poss.
Eagle Star) paper on Nov. 24, 1895, as:
Death of Francis Murphy,
"Frankie, the little
daughter of ex-sheriff Murphy, passed away Monday afternoon. She
died of typhoid fever. The funeral notice will appear tomorrow. Her
death has almost prostrated her parents."
ii. Katherine
Hale,
b. Peshtigo, May 3, 1858,
d. Peshtigo, Dec. 13, 1938,
bur. Riverside Cem.,
m. Edward
LeBlond in Peshtigo, July 4, 1893, a
native of Canada who came to Peshtigo in 1869 and was a salesman for
the Peshtigo Co. store. Children:
Cecil LeBlond, m. Harry
J. Engels; Katherine LeBlond,
m. Willis Hodgins;
and a Mrs. William LeBlond Smith,
who lived in Menominee, Mich.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SECOND
GENERATION
(5). LEWIS 2 HALE (Jinks
1),
b. Dec. 19, 1825, prob. Jefferson or
St. Lawrence Co. N.Y.,
d. Sep. 15, 1895, bur. Brookside Cem., Oconto Co.,
m. (1) Delia (or
Adelia) Scofield, prob. Morristown, St. Lawrence Co.
N.Y.
d. Morristown, June 3, 1847, g.s. Greenwood
Cem. Morristown as: "Adelia A. Scofield, wife of Lewis Hale, ae. 24 yrs.
4 mo's," (Ann M. Cady, St. Lawrence Co. cem. listings)
Note on Delia
Scofield:
Delia was sister to Almira Scofield, wife of Lewis' brother Leonard
Hale.
m. (2). Olive
Soper,
b. Ontario, Canada, Oct. 16, 1836,
d. Vancouver, Clark Co. Washington, Sep. 13, 1922.,
bur. Park Hill Cem. Vancouver, dau. of John
M. and Asenath (Bradley) Soper.
Note on
Lewis Hale:
"Sheep shearing was an
interesting event every spring. D. Huntington, A. Burdick, and Lewis
Hale went from farm to farm to shear sheep." (A Story of
Pittsfield and Suamico).
"Lewis Hale came from New
York state with relatives. He lived among them, sometimes at Peshtigo,
Pensaukee, Pittsfield, Crivitz, Abrams, and Lena, never contened to
settle down. His son George was a small boy when he came west. He lived
many years in the home of W.N. Brown. He died when 18 years old." (ibid)
Lewis Hale was recruted (along with several others) in Pittsfield,
Wis. and enlisted on Oct. 21, 1861 as a private in Co. H. of the 12th
rgt. of Wisc. Infantry. He is described as 5'8" tall, dark complected,
black hair, and blue eyes. He is said to have deserted at Humboldt,
Tenn., Oct. 5, 1862 (Civil War pension application).
In 1891 Lewis Hale, while living in Amberg, made application for a
pension for services rendered during the Civil War. He contracted with
Pension and Claim Attys., Geo. Bancroft & Co., to represent his appeal
to have the charges of desertion withdrawn, claiming that desertion was
necessary to save his life, that he suffered from chronic diarhea while
in service and could not get adequate treatment from the army.
Testimony of Mary Hayden, doctor, Flintville, Brown Co. Wis., Sep.
18, 1891:
"That she is a practicing
physician and has been acquainted with said soldier for about 35 years
and that said claimant was a sound able bodied man when I first knew him
and til he went into the army.
He worked for the neighbors and for my husband before the war and
if he had not been a sound able bodied man at that time and at
enlistment I would have known it as he boarded with us when he worked
for us. After his return from the army I first treated him for chronic
diarhea and pleurisy about the spring of 1864 which I believe to have
been contracted in the army because he was sound before he enlisted. The
medicine I gave him relieved him for a while but the same trouble would
come on again. The treatment has afforded present relief but has never
cured and I believe he is incurable. I have treated him often during all
the time since with about the same result. He has been unable to perform
manual labor for a living about half of the time since he came home and
I first treated him. Claimant has lived here and worked for the
neighbors when he could work most of the time since he came from the
army."
It is not clear from the Civil War records as received from the
National Archives, whether Lewis Hale was successful in receiving a
pension.
Child of Lewis and Delia (Scofield) Hale:
(9). Levi
H. Hale,
b. Morristown, June 25, 1845,
d. Lena, Wis. Dec. 13, 1908,
m. (1) Vannie
Stacy,
m. (2). Kate
M. (Williams) Widger.
Children of Lewis and Olive (Soper) Hale.
i. GEORGE HALE, (possible
son). Only known reference of George is from (A Story of Pittsfield
and Suamico), see above. George apparently not born to 1st. wife,
Delia Scofield, as the census of 1850 makes no reference to him in the
household with Lewis Hale, then a widower. If George is a son with
Lewis' 2nd. wife , Olive, he would have been born, say, 1852 at the very
earliest, when Olive was16 years old. A check of the 1860 and/or 1870
census of Pittsfield, and the household of W.N. Brown, where George is
said to have lived, might verify the existance of this supposed son of
Lewis Hale.
ii. MILLIE
MARY HALE,
b. Wis. Aug. 11, 1857,
d. Vancouver, Clark Co. Washington, Nov. 26,
1918,
bur. Park Hill, cem., Vancouver,
m. (1). Galen
Litchfield, ca. 1881,
b. Watertown, Middlesex Co. Mass. June 22,
1839,
d. Vancouver, Jan 8, 1935, bur. Park Hill cem.,
m. (2). George
Albert Snyder,
b. Stevenson, Ill, Mar. 4, 1857,
d. ca. 1940. (Rootsweb.com).
Notes on
Olive Soper Hale Ellis:
Sometime between 1857 anad 1859, Lewis Hale and wife, Olive, separated.
She m. (2). Orrin J. Ellis who enlisted
at Monroe, Wis. in Co. B. 18th Wis. Inf. Vols. and was honorably
discharged for disability.
It was customary for the widow of a Civil War vet. to receive a
pension in his name. In Olives case, her rights to a pension in the name
of Orrin J. Ellis, had apparently been rejected due to her prior
marriage to (and questionable divorce from) Lewis Hale.
In an effort to have her claim for a pension sucessfully
"reinstated," Olive submited the following affidavit dated Oct. 1, 1908:
"That she was born in the state of New York about the year 1840
and resided with her parents in the County of St. Lawrence, and at the
age of about 14 and not over 15 years, a minor child, one Mr. Hale came
to her fathers home and obtained consent to take affiant to his home to
live with his family for a time; that said affiant went to the said Hale
home and she lived with the family for a few months when it was proposed
to her that she become the wife of Lewis Hale, a son of the said Mr.
Hale with whom she was then living; that some form of ceremony was
performed and within a few weeks her father John Soper learned that the
said Lewis Hale claimed to have been married to his daughter, the
affiant; whereapon he went and took affiant to his home, declaring that
his consent had not been secured to said marriage and the affiant then
being under sixteen years of age was not of a marriagable age and that
the ceremony could not be binding or legal. That affiant with her
fathers family moved to the northern part of the state of Wisconsin
during the same spring or summer in which such marriage ceremony was
performed; that after her father came and took her from the Hale home
affiant never lived with the said Lewis Hale or recognized the legality
of said marriage; that they settled in an unorganized portion of the
territory of northern Wisconsin above Appleton P.O. in the wilderness
near Green Bay P.O. That her father with the aid of some local attorney
whose name is now unknown to affiant took the necessary court
proceedings to set aside, anul and make void said marriage cerimony
claimed to have existed between herself and said Lewis Hale and that for
years she had in her posession a certificate or paper showing lthat
affiant was under no legal obligations whatever to recognize said
marriage cerimony performed while affiant was a minor, not of
mariageable age, and withouot the consent of her said father; that said
paper or certificate was destroyed by fire some few years thereafter.
Affiant has personal knowledge that said Lewis Hale died about the year
(illegible); that affiant was lawfully married to Orrin J. Ellis about
( ) day of March, 1859 near Milwaukee, state of Wisconsin."
The property records at the Oconto Courthouse show the sale of land
in Peshtigo Harbor by Lewis Hale and his wife Olive to Catherine
Hale, transaction dated June 9, 1857. The deed is signed, Lewis
Hale (seal) and Olive Hale (seal), contradicting Olives testimony, as
above.
Also, Olive gives her birth as "about 1840, N.Y. state" but in
Rootsweb, her descendant says she was b. Ontario Canada, in 1836. In her
testimony, Olive also omits that she has a daughter by Lewis Hale.
It is interesting also that Olive claims to have had in her
possession a document (since destroyed by fire) written up by an
attorney, (who's name she cannot remember) absolving her of any legal
attachment to a marriage to Lewis Hale.
In other statements she says that she is living in Washington state
and too far from Wisconsin in time and distance to obtain corroborating
testimony from witnesses there. She does manage to obtain supporting
testimony from Mrs. Bella Smith, her sister, who says that everything in
Olives testimony is true.
It appears that Olive (Soper) Hale was probably not divorced from
Lewis Hale at the time of her marriage to Orin J. Ellis. It is not clear
whether she successfully convinced the govt. of the contrary.
Note: the "Lucy" of 14 years living in the household of Jinks Hale
in 1850, as above, would have been the same age as Olive Soper (as well
as Catherine Hale, as previously speculated). If it was Olive, then at
least some of her testimony is correct.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(6). CATHERINE
MELISSA (3) HALE, (Leonard, 2, Jinks,1)
b. Morristown, Jan. 10, 1836,
d. Amberg, Marinette Co. Wis. [hereafter, Amberg] Dec. 17, 1890,
bur. Rural Cem. Flintville, m. Morristown, Apr. 7, 1853 "by Rev.
H. Linairs"
m. Albert Hamilton
Buckman,
b. Grand Isle, Vt. June 12, 1829,
d. Amberg, Sep. 8, 1906,
bur. Rural Cem. Flintville, son of Elijah
and Amanda (Taylor) Buckman of Grand Isle, Vt. and
Morristown, (fam. Bible).
Notes on
Catherine Melissa Hale Buckman:
Catherine and her husband removed from Morristown to Brown Co.
Wis. in 1854, settling first in Mills Center and then Flintville.
"The old 'Hall House' which
still stands (1928) on the corner of Broadway and Howard street was the
only boarding place south of 'Tiernan's' on Walnut street. It was in
this house that the Albert Buckman family spent their first night in
Green Bay, after getting off the old 'Michigan,' on which they had made
the trip from Buffalo." (A Story of Pittsfield and
Suamico).
"In 1852 the town of Pittsfield was organized by proper
legislation, being formerly a part of the once large town of
Howard....On March 16, 1858, a petition to set off a town to be called
Suamico from the town of Pittsfield was presented to the board of
Supervisors of the Brown Co. A.H. Buckman was the first assessor in
this new (smaller) township of Pittsfield." (ibid.)
"A.H. Buckman had held the office of school superintendent for
Pittsfield before the office of County Superintendent was established in
1861. A sum of $2.00 for the use of Mr. Buckman's house was allowed at
each meeting." (ibid.)
"The house or barn raisings were surely tests of strength and
daring, Albert Buckman's assistance was always needed to "holler" when
the great side timbers and beams went up so that all pushed at the same
instant." (ibid.)
Catherine Buckman was the first school teacher in Dist. #3, town of
Pittsfield, which was formed in 1862. (ibid)
"A school house was not built until the next year. The first
teacher in the district was Mrs. A.H. (Catherine) Buckman, who "kept"
the school in her own house. There were from 10 to 15 pupils...The
school was small, built of hewn logs. It had long boards on each sice,
full length, with desks before them two or three feet apart. The west
side of the room was for the boys, the east was the girls side. On one
occasion the boys and girls traded sides but habit was strong and they
traded back again.
The walls of the room were
rough. A teachers desk was at the north end of the room, exactly in the
middle, with a tall narrow cupboard undder the chimney, just behind the
teachers chair. Above the cupboard door lhung the funny octagon shaped
clock. On either side hung a map and a painted piece of blackboard, the
sole decoration s of the bare walls, unless it were autumn leaves and
ltrailing pine, which were gathered from the nearby woods and put over
the windows and door in the fall or green branches in the spring and
summer." (ibid)
Notes on
Albert Buckman:
In the early 1880's the railroad was laying tracks through the
wilderness, pushing north from Crivitz. Albert Buckman was in charge of
the railroad boarding house which moved up with the men and the new
tracks as they were laid. When the railroad reached the Amberg area in
1884, he remained.
Albert and Melissa Buckman first settled in the granite quarrying
town of Argyle, located on the Pike river (just west of present day
Amberg). They owned a hotel there and Albert was the first notory public
in Argyle.
Argyle was largely abandoned in the 1890's after the new village
of Pike (later named Amberg) was platted some 3 miles to the east along
the new railroad tracks. Many buildings from Argyle were moved to the
new location. Albert and Catherine Buckman relocated as well,
purchasing two lots in the village of Pike in 1889.
Albert Buckman served as Amberg's first postmaster. His office was
next to his home. There was a store on the other side of the post
office, a two story builing. A lady, who's parents had the store, said
that from the upstairs they could look down and see Mr. Buckman reading
the postcards.
" A.H. "Grampa" Buckman held
the position of Postmaster from the time the town was organized, except
for a short time when E.S. Spears of Dunbar temporarily held the
position. Mail began to be carried between Amberg and Athelstane in
1899. In Sep.1903 the Post Office became the scene of what was probably
the first Post Office robbery in Amberg. The burglers made an attempt to
blow the front off the safe where Mr. Buckman kept valuable papers, but
overlooked a drawer containing $6.00 and an unlimited amount of stamps.
Marshall Butts heard the explosion around 11.00 P.M. but passed it off
as a gunshot, which was much more common than robbers blasting the Post
Office safe!" (Amberg, the first 100 years, Amberg
Historical Society, 1990).
"In 1904 this first Post
Office burned in an early morning fire. All the mail was saved, and 200
people took part in the fierce fight to save adjoining buildings against
a bad wind. J.B. Wood's horses were brought up from his downtown hotel
and a chain wrapped around the remaining parts of the Post Office which
was then dragged into the street and away from the other buildings.
Hundreds of pails of water were used to save the rest of the block which
was severely threatened. A few months later, due to advancing age, Mr.
Buckman tendered his resignation and Philip Downing, Deputy Postmaster,
was appointed to take his place." (ibid.)
Children of Catherine Hale and Albert H. Buckman:
i. Arthur
Willis Buckman,
b. Morristown, Mar. 4, 1854,
d. Amberg, May 17, 1910, of pneumonia,
bur. Rural Cem. Flintville,
m. Harriet
A. Lindsay of Flintville. Probably in
Flintville, May 22, 1879,
Notes on Arthur Willis
Buckman:
"The work of packing shingles in
the mills grew to be a contest of skilled workers. George Glassett and
Arthur Buckman won notoriety at lamb, Watson company's mill at
Flintville, for being great packers." (A Story of
Pittsfield and Suamico).
Children of Arthur Willis Buckman and Harriet A Lindsay Buckman:
i. Edna
M Buckman.,
d. Aug. 4, 1880,
bur. Rural cem.
Flintville.
ii. Lila
A. Buckman,
b. July 12, 1887,
m. Edward
A. Green, June 27, 1907.
iii. Barbara Buckman,
b. Feb. 22, 1890,
d. Sep. 19, 1913,
bur. Amberg cem.,
m. Earl
E. Terwillegar, July 9, 1912.
iv. Myrtle Buckman,
b. May 21, 1901,
m. Feb. 14, 1917, W.D.
Freeburg.
(10). ii. Warren
Lamont Buckman,
b. W. Pensaukee, July 21, 1857,
m. Florence
(Hubbard) (Wait) Hale.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(7). WINFIELD SCOTT 3
HALE, (Leonard 2, Jinks 1)
b. Morristown, N.Y. Jan. 6, 1846 (fam. Bible),
d. M.&M. Hospital, Marinette, Wis., Apr. 13, 1888 (g.s.
unknown),
m. Florence A.
(Hubbard) Wait , widow of William
R. Wait (marriage rec.), Marinette,
Wis., May 12, 1886 (by John McGillis, J.P.).
Notes
on Winfield Scott Hale:
On Oct. 9, 1861, at the age of 18, while still living in N.Y.
state, Winfield Hale joined the army as a member of Co. K. 18th Reg.
Infantry. He also served in the Home Guards at Carthage, N.Y. under
Capt. Baker. He was honorably discharged May 28, 1863 at Albany, N.Y.
(Civil War pension application of Florence Buckman).
From the Oconto Co. Reporter, Feb. 4, 1882 reporting on the suicide of
the husband of the above, Florence A.
(Hubbard) Wait, who married Winfield Hale:
"William R. Wait, residing near West Pensaukee in this county,
committed suicide last Tuesday morning, by shooting himself through the
head, from the effects of which he died instantly. At the inquest it was
discovered that the cause which led the poor fellow to take his own life
was partial insanity, resulting from the loss of property, failing
health and a fear that he and his family would come to want."
In the early 1880's Winfield Hale struck out from his home in
Abrams to become a pioneer in the Crivitz area (then called Ellis
Junction).
"Levi Hale and his brother
Winfield helped in surveying and mapping the territory in and around
Crivitz.." (Crivitz Centenial Book, 1883-1983,
Centenial Committee).
"The first postmaster in
Crivitz was Winfield Hale in 1883." (ibid).
In 1884, Winfield Hale was granted 120 acres in N1/2NE, Sec. 10,
Twp. 32N R.19E by U.S. govt. land patent. This is currently (2010)
known as the Weinhart farm, located some 6 miles west of Crivitz. After
Winfield's death this became the property of his brother Levi and was
the site of one of Levi Hale's Indian trading posts.
Excerpts from Early Days In The Lumber Business, as found on this
site:
"We went up river in a boat from above snow falls to the rapids in
Sec. 30, Twp. 33, R. 17. The trees had grown all the way across the
river at this point and we could not go any further with the boat so we
walked up river to the north side of Sec. 30. The mosquitoes were so
thick that we could hardly stand it and Modoc (an
Indian guide they had hired, mentioned also in "My Pioneer Mother," see
below) said he could make a smudge, but the
mosquitoes bit him so fiercely that he could not keep the match going
long enough to light the fire. But finally he got a smudge started and
we ate our lunch. We then took a trail leading to Waubee Lake where a
man by the name of Hale had a hunters' and fisherman's resort. A wheel
road from this point ran to Ellis Junction and during the time that this
place was operated by Hale great quantities of venison and fish were
hauled to Ellis jlunction and shipped. It was said that lthe venison was
shipped in boxes and billed as mutton....."
A complete version of this account can be found on this site as
mentioned above.
Exerpts from Norman Johnson of Laona, Wisconsin, who ran the
Winfield Hale trading post on McCaslin Mt. in the town of Silver Cliff
in 1884:
"Indians would come from
Minnesota to hunt for about 3 months, we did such a big business the
last fall there was 300 Indians hunted for the Win Hale post.
When my brother and I arrived at Win Hale's block house there was a
man by the name of Jack Dorn in charge. He was there from early spring
of 1884 until December. About 100 Indians came into the post, receips
were about $500.00--talk about buckskin, fur, and snowshoes. Win had a
load of about $1000.00 worth of fur and buckskin during the winter.
In 1888 Win Hale had a man by the name of Hilston build him a boat
at Menominee. His intention was to sail around the Horn then north to
Alasky (sp) to trade up there with the natives. My brother was captain
of the boat. I believe they started for Alasky; in February 1889 they
got as far as Memphis when Win was taken sick. The Dr. there advised him
to go back to Wisconsin to regain his health, but he died in the
hospital in Marinette. My brother stayed with the boat, after Win died
Mrs. Hale told him to sell the boat and the trade equipment, and that
ended one man's ambition to see the great north.
Perhaps you would like to know something of Win Hale's business. In
yrs. of 1887 and 88 he had a branch trading post at Otter Lake which I
looked after that took care of about 75 Indians. Had another post one
mile north-west of Town on Bass Lake that looked after 50 Indians and at
Waubee Lake about 25, and on the big hill (McCaslin Mt.) about 50
Indians. Kept 2 teams busy from November til January. 1888 was his big
year, he had $10,000 in cash and $10,000 in due bills--his bills was
good for one dollar each in merchandise.
Win didn't make his
shipments until January. He shipped 300 pair of showshoes, for how much
I don't know. He hauled the venison saddles with 4 ribs attached and the
hide wrapped around it to Ellis Junction (Crivitz). The saw mill had a
spur about la quarter mile back from the mill through the heavy jack
pine timber that they didn't use that winter. Mr. Hale had his teamsters
pile these venison saddles in along side of this spur like cordwood.
Here is the surprise, when he made the shipment the weight was 84 tons
of venison. He got 25 cents a pound less commission and freight charges.
He paid 5 cents a pound for the venison, he mada a big profit. On his
trade goods he sold mens trousers for $6.00 a pair, he paid $1.25 a
pair. Calico sold for 12 to 15 centt a yard."
(Athelstane-Silver Cliff Centenial, 2005, Centenial Committee).
From, Marinette County Bearing Tree Historical Marker:
"This hemlock tree, 24',
now 26' in diameter marking the adjoining corners of Sect's 22, 23, 26,
27, Township 34N, R. 17E., 4th meridian, Federal Gov't. survey of public
land domain, June
6, 1856 by Alonzo P. Foster established this bearing tree, one of the
few that still survive in Wis. Re-surveyed in 1935 by Marinette County.
Site of fur trading post built by Winfield Hale of wooden blocks on
the old up river supply road from Crivitz to Waube Lake in 1884 and
operated in 1885 by Norman Johnson. Was located 3/10 of a mile souty of
this marker."
Notes on Florence
A. (Hubbard) Wait Hale:
From the Marinette Eagle Star (prob.) date unknow but likely
sometime ca. 1930, Florence gives her own account of the early days in
the area as follows:
Mrs.
Florence A. Buckman of Amberg.
Relates tales of Silver Mining.
Antigo, Wis.---Replying to a letter from Earle B. Holman, secretary
of the Langlade Co. Historical Society, Mrs. Florence A. Buckman related
some interesting legends of the Peshtigo river country. This letter
follows:
"Pardon delay. Yours received some days ago inquiring about one
Bill Johnson, for whom Johnson Falls on the Peshtigo river is said to
have been named. I have had some other inquiries in recent years in
regard to him. Whatever may have been known of him has been lost with
the passing of his contemporaries, or those immediately following.
However, so far as the Chippewa chief, White Eagle, who used to
visit Thunder Lake (Dutch) Frank. I was intimately acquainted with him
and his tribe. His Indian name was Waba-skip-a-ness, and I may add that
Waba lake was named for him, although at present it is spelled Waubee, a
corruption of the original. I lived for several years within calling
distance of the tribe on the lake and l acquired a smattering of their
language. I frequently employed one of the women to assist in heavy
work. The children of lthe tribe became very friendly and brought me odd
formations of plants, stone specimens, and other curios.
I recall that in the early history relative to Peshtigo river and
vicinity that a man (name and date unknown) became lost in the country
north of the river and wandered many days without food or shelter. In
his wanderings he approached the river near Caldron Falls and hearing
the roar of the water made his way to the stream and followed its course
until he reached civilization. It may or may not have been Johnson. He
brought with him a sample of silver ore very rich in the precious metal.
His ambition was to return with others and locate the place where he
found it. However exposure had done its work and he died leaving only a
meagre description of the location.
In the early '80s a Mr. McCaslin and son Henry of Oconto prospected
until they located what they believed to be the silver mine and began
operations. Before they got any tangible results, however, the son was
shot accidentally while handling a shot gun and the father returned to
Oconto. I have never heard that anyone ever made another attempt to mine
in that locality. The place is now known as McCaslin mountain and brook.
I shall be glad to give you any information I can about the early
days of my pioneering in that vicinity, or ofl the few inhabitants."
Mrs. Florence A. Buckman.
Sometime in the 1960s, Florences daughter, Lenore (Buckman)
(Nickel) Beck, wrote about her mother's life in the following story
titled:
"My Pioneer Mother."
"My mother was a woman of fiercely decided traits, and when she
thought she was right, she had the courage to stand by her convictions.
For instance, she hated liquor, and if my father happened to be talking
to someone in front of a saloon, as she passed by she refused to even
nod at nim. Eyes front! In later years she was convinced she had heart
trouble, although several doctors assured her that the contrary was
true. She felt they didn't want to alarm her by telling her the truth,
so she insisted on an impaired heart until she died of a stroke at the
age of 81.
Born Florence Ada Hubbard June 22, 1858, she was raised at Brier
Hill, New York, on the St. Lawrence River. She married quite young to
William Waite, who was much older than she. Shortly after they were
married, he lhad a tailor cut out a pair of trousers, took them to
Mother and said, "sew these up for me." She hadn't the slightest idea
what to do, but being spunky, she ripped up an old pair, jotted down
step by step how they went together, and made the trousers.
When her daughter was four years old they went South, hopine to
find help for her husbands failing health. As he did not improve, they
decided to go West to the mountains, and set out for Helena, Montana. By
this time Mother was an accomplished seamstress, even doing tailoring,
and was supporting the family.
At that time the railroad only ran as far as Omaha, Nebraska, and
the rest of the way was by stagecoach. When they reached Omaha, Mother
said, "We are so tired, let's not take the stage out today, let's get a
nights rest at a hotel, and go out tomorrow." So they did that, and
later they heard that the first stage had been held up and robbed by
road agents.
On the second day out, the driver stopped his horses, got down,
opened the stage door, and whispered, "Has anyone got a gun?" Everyone
thought, "road agents," and the men got out with guns ready. The driver
pointed up the hill where a mountain lion lay asleep with his head on
his paws. Several men fired, but the lion never moved a muscle. Then the
driver laughed. The lion was a very life-like combination of logs and
rock.
The coaches were built to hold nine people, but the passenger list
numbered fourteen. Mother became so tired that her head dropped onto the
shoulder of the man next to her, and she slept. Her husband tried to
rouse her, but the gentleman said, "Just let her sleep, she is all tired
out."
As a dressmaker, Mother easily got work, but her husband's health
continued to fail. She had relatives living near Abrams, so they decided
to come to Wisconsin. By then the railroad had pushed on to Helena, and
the return trip was made in comfort.
Mr. Wait passed away in 1882, and mother later married Winfield
Hale. Mr. Hale was a Civil War veteran and loved the woods. Starting a
trading post for the Indians, they moved into a log cabin on Waubee Lake
in Oconto County. They bought venison hides, berries, and other things
from the Indians, and sold them cloth, flour, guns and staple goods.
They also ran a hunting camp for hunters from the cities.
One wealthy man from Chicago decided to rough it and camp by
himself. It didn't turn out so well and he sent a member of his party to
my mother and asked if he could borrow her cook stove, as his chef did
not know how to cook over an open fire.
A band of Chippewa Indians lived across the lake. The chief's name
was Waubeskibinas, hence the name Waubee Lake. his son was Modoc and
his daughter was Kenewaubeque, which means morning flower or morning
glory.
One morning Mother was washing clothes outdoors when the Indian
women across the lake started to wave their arms and cry, "Shkode,
shkode!" A couple of them came running around the lake. They dashed up
to Mother's cabin. Each grabbed a couple of pails and raced to the lake,
filled the pails with water and ran back to the house. Mother was
dumbfounded, she couldn't figure what it was all about. But the roof of
the cabin was on fire and the Indians had seen it. The "shkode" meant
fire.
One day one of the Indian guides was in the woods and stepped over
a log, right into a nest of bear cubs. Of course they squealed and the
mother came running. She took a swipe at the man's head with her paw,
pulling his scalp down over his face. He tried to lie perfectly still,
but the blood began to smart and pain his eyes unbearably. He tried,
very carefully and slowly, to move a hand up over his eyes. The mother
bear saw it, grabbed his wrist and chewed it through and through. The
guide managed to endure the pain and lie quietly until the bear had
coaxed her cubs out of hearing. When he decided it was safe to move, he
crawled out on his hand and knees, back to camp. Luckely, he recovered.
The trading post hauled their supplies by horse and wagon from
Crivitz, about fifty miles away. The nearest neighbor was five miles
away, and once Mother rode there on horseback to get a "setting" of
eggs, a dozen or so, as she had a hen who wanted to "set." That is, the
hen wouldn't get off her nest, but wanted eggs put under her. She would
set on these for three weeks, only coming off once a day to eat. At the
end of the three weeks, the eggs had fluffy little chickens inside of
them who broke the shells with their bills, and came out into the world.
The Indians loved pictures, and as Mother papered her walls with
newspapers, more for cleanliness than beauty, the Indian women would
come in and study the illustrations. Sometimes they would become so
absorbed and quiet that Mother would forget they were there. One day,
however, they cried out angrily, shaking their fists at a picture of
Indians, "Eyah, Eyah, Winnebagos! Winnegagos!" It seems there was
enmity between the tribes, and by their moccasins, they had recognized
the Winnebago people.
Mother handled her own birch bark canoe, paddling all over the
lake, trapping, skinning her game, and curing the hides herself. I
really think she enjoyed this period of her life to the very fullest.
She surely could adjust herself to any mode of life.
I don't know how long they lived at Waubee Lake, but they did make
quite a lot of money, and they decided to go to Alaska. If it had gone
through, probably mother would have hunted Polar Bears, and learned the
Eskimo language, as she had the Chippewa.
They started down the Mississippi River by boat, but at New
Orleans, Mr. Hale became ill with some fever, and they returned to
Wisconsin, where he passed away within a short time.
In 1888, she married my father, Warren L. Buckman. When I was five
years old, my brother Albert, or "Buckie" as he was known all his life,
was born. The house we lived in then was also an Indian Trading Post.
This one, built by my father around 1883, was the first building
constructed on the site that would later become the village of Pike,
later re-named Amberg. Father was raised in Brown County, but came north
as a young man. Loading his wagons with goods, he traveled up the old
Pine River Road until reaching the rapids below "Dow Dam" on the Pike
River, where he pitched his tents and sold his wares to the loggers at
the nearby camp. The following year he built a permanent structure, our
house, and began a business trading with the Indians at White Rapids on
the Menominee River and with the loggers at the various camps.
When I was 10 years old, we moved onto a piece of wild land west of
Amberg. My father being a carpinter, hastily threw up the shell of a
house. The windows, all chewed by porcupines, came from an abandoned
lumber camp. The doors were strips of carpet, nailed at the top. When it
rained, we would anchor them at the bottom too and hope for the best.
But bit by bit, it became a full fledged house.
Times were pretty rugged, and Mother could economize as no lother
person I ever knew. She would make out a grocery list, then go through
it and cross out everything we could get along without until the next
trip to town. Spices being cheaper than vanilla, we had spice cakes for
several years. When we moved, my brother and I located and ate what
shredded coconut Mother had on hand, and it was a long , long time
before we had any more.
Of course, we had cows, "Baby," "Cherry," "Fawn," and Mother would
skim the cream off the milk and make butter. Then she soured the skim
milk and made cottage cheese. Then she took the whey from that and made
whey buns. If she had been asked, I'm sure she could have found a way to
utilize the squeel from the hogs at the packing houses.
She usually worked at several jobs at once. For instance, we always
had griddle cakes for breakfast, and between turnovers, she would dash
into her bedroom, and by the time the cakes were all fried, her bed
would be made too. But I must confess we often ate burned griddle cakes.
She didn't feel as though there ws anything in the house for
company unless she had white cookies, dark cookies, and doughnuts, often
frying a big batch of doughnuts before breakfast.
She made all our clothes, and knit our long black stockings. When
she was small, and walked along the road to play with her cousin, she
always carried her knitting bag on her arm, and knit as she walked, so
she just could not remember when she learned to knit. She didn't make
our shoes, but she did make buckskin moccasins the way she learned from
the Indians.
She always had fancy work ready to grab up at every spare moment.
It was a matter of pride that every pillow slip she owned, made of flour
sacks, of course, either had lace or embroidery on it. One year she kept
track of the garments she made, and it averageded one a week.
Whatever she did, she threw herself into it wholeheartedly and was
so interested in everything at hand. I think Mother must have lived by
two mottos:
1. "Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today."
2. "Never buy anything you can make yourself."
She had supreme contempt for anyone who bought canned goods from a
store. We had a lady hotel keeper and Mother used to say of her,
unflatteringly, "She dashes to the grocery at eleven in the morning, and
again at four, and comes home with her arms full of tin cans and paper
bags."
We never had fresh fruit or cookies from the store. Two things I
remember. When I had mumps, along with my girl chum, her mother bought
bananas for her, and I didn't have any. Then our neighbor, a foreign
lady, died, and the family invited us for lunch after the funeral, as
was their custom. And they served frosted store cookies and LUMP sugar--
a red letter day for me. I don't suppose I had ever seen lump sugar
before.
After my father's death, Mother applied for an army pension, Mr.
Hale being a veteran. And of all the papers she had to produce! Her
birth certificate, all three of her marriage certificates, all three
death certificates, Mr. Hale's discharge papers, and other military
information. How she ever managed to hang onto them, I'll never know. Of
course, it took a long time and a lot of searching through trunks and
boxes in attics and basements. Finally she had everything except Mr.
Hales death certificate. Repeated trips to the hospital where he died,
in Marinette, and searches through newspapers of that date, failed to
turn up the information. At last the office girl at the old M&M hospital
in Marinette had an idea. She said, "We have one more chance. I believe
we have some old records stored in the attic." And there she found Mr.
Hale's bedside chart which was acceptable, and Mother finally received a
pension of forty dollars a month.
For the first time in her life she felt security, and she surely
enjoyed it. She invested in a permanent wave--I think her first one was
twelve dollars, dresses by a dressmaker and so on. It must have been a
wonderful experience, after having denied herself so much all her life.
Although Mother had great tenacity and stuck to a project, there
were two things that had her stumped. She could never learn to make
tatted lace, nor to ride a bicycle, and she surely tried.
One lifetime project also failed. Willie Dickenson, eight years
old, disappeared on his way home from school, in a Michigan town, where
his father was superintendent of a mine. Willie was in sight of someone
all the way home except for a short strip of timber. Workman on the road
saw him enter this, but no one saw him come out into the open. Some
thought a disgruntled miner might have abducted him, and others laid it
to the Indians. All her life my mother hunted Willie Dickenson. She
wrote hundreds of letters, and called numerous Indians to our home for
interviews. Several times she thought she had located him, and she did
restore a couple of boys to their parents, but she never found the boy
she was looking for. His disappearance is still a mystery.
The summer she was seventy-five years old she developed uremic
poisoning which couded her brain, and her mind was gone all summer. She
didn't recognize us, and called me Sarah, the cousin with whom she had
played as a child. She recovered in late fall, but it seemed as though
part of her had died. She was quite different from then on.
When she was eighty-one years old she had a stroke. At first she
could speak and kept asking what day of lthe month it was. She lived two
weeks, and as she grew weaker and lunable to talk, she would point to
the calendar. We couldn't imagine why, but on November first, her
pension check came. She made us understand she wanted to sign it, so we
helped her, and that everning she passed away. Her indomitable will
didn't fail her, but kept her going until the very last--that of a very
remarkable woman."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(8). LEVI
FREDRICK 3 HALE, (leonard 2, Jinks 1)
b. Thresa, N.Y. Apr. 19, 1853,
d. Crivitz, Wis. Nov. 17, 1938,
m. (1). Anna
M. Buckman, May 6, 1885, (adopted daughter of
his half sister, Melissa),
d. June, 1902;
m. (2). Mary
A. (Colborn) Weinhart, Aug. 13, 1902.
Notes on Levi
Frederick Hale:
Levi Hale spent his early years in N.Y. state, then in Abrams, and
later as a pioneer in/around Crivitz, Wis.
"Into this (Crivitz
area) land of great pines and hardwoods came Levi
Hale, John Seymour, Fredrick Bartels, Hieronymus Zech, and many others,
to settle here and to help in creating a new civilization in this
northern world." (Crivitz, 1883-1983 Centenial
booklet).
"Levi Hale held several
offices in the Town of Stephenson, including chairman of lthe town and
secretary of the Crivitz School Board for many years." (ibid)
"Levi and his brother,
Winfield, helped in surveying and mapping the territory in and around
Crivitz. He was the Marinette County Surveyman for many years and was in
charge of location settlers in the region." (ibid)
"In 1907 he became the
surveyor for the Northeastern Power Company, now Wisconsin Public
Service Corporation, to locate and map dam sites on the Peshtigo River.
He advised the power company to purchase all of the lands adjacent to
the "flowage" in order to preserve the wilderness. His advce was taken
and today we can thank this pioneer for his sensitivity for this area.
He lived by this conviction and although he owned a piece of land at
Twin Bridges and lived there, in his will he declared a "life estate"
only and at his death it reverted back to the power company."
(ibid)
"Levi lived out the
remainder of his life at Twin Bridges and died in 1938 at the age of 85.
His daughter, Viola Nazzal-Baudendistle lives in Sun City and his
grandson George Nazzal lives northwest of Crivitz near Athelstane."
(ibid).
In reference to the "Wausaukee Club" a private club near
Athelstane, Wis. which encompases a section of land with a large
lake called "Elbow Lake," as below:
"Levi F. Hale had a trading
post on the southeast end of Elbow Lake. Hale was well known locally and
in the Crivitz area as a trader and land surveyer."
(Athelstane-Silver Cliff Centenial, 2005).
"The first road from
Wausaukee followed an Indian trail, which followed upstream of the
Wausaukee River to what was at one time called Glendale. Here they
forded the river and went west and then north of Spies Lake, then west
and southwest to Elbow Lake, where there was an Indian trading post run
by an early settler by the name of Levi Hale." (ibid,
recollections of Chas. lundberg).
Below referring to the Levi Hale trading post ca. 6 miles west of
Crivitz:
"A Tribal Council Ring and
campsite was located just south of the Hale Trading Post where the four
tribes (Menominee, Ottawa, Winnebago, and Potawatomi) would gather for
tribal meetings and ceremonial dances." (Crivitz, 1883-1983,
Centenial Booklet)
"In 1885, Mike and Dave
Engler, Levi Hale, and Eli Bell, blazed a trail from Peshtigo to the
outlet river south of Lake Noquebay, (ibid).
At some point Levi Hale also had a store in the village of Crivitz,
"Levi Hale's store was next to
his house on Main St." (ibid).
Pioneer Who Died Yesterday Had Indians as His Customers
"Funeral services for Levi Fredrick hale, pioneer Marinette county
farmer who died early yeaterday morning in his home at Crivitz, will be
conducted Friday afternoon at 2:00 in his residence. The remains were
removed to the home this afternoon.
Levi Hale, who was born in Thresa, N.Y. on April 19, 1853, came
to Marinette county in 1873 and took up a homestead near Crivitz. At
that place he established a trading post where he conducted business
with the Indians for many years. He later turned the post into the farm
he operated until hes death. Mr. Hale was well known as a timber
estimator and surveyer. For several years he served as county surveyor
and also during his lifetime was chairman of lthe board of the town of
Stephenson. For the past 20 years he had spent the summer at Twin Bridge
on the Peshtigo river.
Surviving him are three
sons, Warren E. Hale, Tacoma Wash.; Albert E. Hale, Plymouth; Jesse J.
Hale, Milwaukee; and one daughter, Mrs. James Nazzal, Jerico, Palestine;
four step sons, Fred and Will. Weinhart, Tacoma; Clarence Weinhart,
Grand Rapids; Oscar Weinhart, Crivitz, and one step daughter, Mrs. A.B.
Worthing, Channing."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(9). Levi H. 3 Hale,
(Lewis 2, Jinks 1)
b. Morristown, N.Y. June 25, 1845,
d. Lena, Wis., Dec. 13, 1908,
m. (1). Mary Stacy,
b. Lowel, Mass., June 27, 1853,
d. Lena, June 1, 1894 of "consumption" (death rec.)
m. (2). Kate M.
(Williams) Widger, Meniminee, Mich., May, 6, 1893
(by Thomas Breen, J.P.)
b. Appleton, Wis., widow of Elbert
D. Widger, a Civil War vet. who d. Lena, Apr. 2, 1893.
At the time of Levi's marriage to Kate
Widger, she had 4 children from her previous husband, George Widger,
b. Apr. 28, 1878; Cyrus Widger,
b. July 10, 1881; Vanessa Widger,
b. Oct. 26, 1884; and Hazel Widger,
b. Sep. 5, 1888. (Civil War pension application of Kate Hale).
Levi H. Hale is in Abrams for the census of 1870 in the household
of J. S. Hale, as, carpenter, ae. 25. As J.S. Hale had lost his only son
in the Civil War he was surely in need of assistance on his farm.
From the Oconto Co. Reporter:
Levi Hale is Dead
Founder of Lena Passed Away Suddenly Sunday
Resident Half Century
One Best Known Pioneers of County
Levi Hale, one of the best known pioneers of the county who has
been closely identified with the business and official life of this
town, passed away suddenly and peacefully about 4:30 Sunday afternoon of
heart failure about 10 minutes after returning from a walk which he had
taken up the street, as he said, "to get some fresh air."
Deceased was born in New York state June 25, 1845, and when a boy
came to this country and had lived at various points in the county ever
since except a brief time spent in Peshtigo and in the army to join
which he walked from Peshtigo to Green Bay, whence as a stowaway he went
to Detroit, Mich., where he enlisted in a Michigan regiment and served
till the close of the civil war.
At one time he was in the coal business and ran a cedar yard at
Brookside station and later went to Lena among its first settlers. Here
he engaged in business with Eugene Chesley in a post mill and was the
first mill man, hotel man and merchant in the village. Later he was a
senior member of the firm of Hale, Pelkey, and Dutton. This was about 18
years ago and after the firm had run this way for a time Mr. Dutton
withdrew and a few weeks later a disastrous fire wiped out the business.
The insurance being in an insolvent company nothing was recovered.
He was not only closely identified with the early business
interests of this town and village but with its political and official
life as well. He was the first chairman of the town which position he
held for several years, first postmaster of the village which positiono
he has helde during thle Republican administrations ever since, was the
first county supervisor of assessments and has always been in the front
in political councils of the Republican party in this town. At his death
the business of the post office was being attended to by the Misses
Wondrash and Buchberger while he was an active member of the Lena Law
Land and Loan Association.
His first wife who was Miss Vanie Stacy, died almost 18 years ago
and he was again married about 5 years ago, his second wife survives
him.
The funeral was held at
10:00 yesterday forenoon from Schoenebeck's hall, Lena and his remains
taken by train to Abrams thence by team to Brookside cemetery, where
they were laid beside those of his father and first wife, with the
impressive funeral service of the Odd Fellows of which organization he
was a member.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(10). WARREN LAMONT 4
BUCKMAN, (Catherine 3, Leonard 2, Jinks 1)
b. W. Pensaukee (now Abrams) July 21, 1857,
d. Marinette, Wis. Apr. 14, 1925, bur. Amberg,
m. Florence
(Hubbard) (Wait) Hale, Marinette, Nov. 2, 1888,
b. Brier Hill, St. Lawrence Co. N.Y. June 22, 1858,
d. Amberg, Nov. 1, 1939,
bur. Amberg, dau. of Levi Buel and Adelia Anna (Jaquith)
Hubbard, and widow, respectively, of William
R. Wait, and Winfield
Scott Hale.
Notes on Warren Lamont Buckman:
Warren Buckman's parents lived in Flintville, Brown Co. but he was
born in W. Pensaukee. It is likely that he was born in the house of J.S.
Hale, who had settled W. Pensaukee the previous year, as there were no
other relatives (known to this writer) to be living in W. Pensaukee at
this early date. Perhaps J.S. Hale's wife, Sophie, was a midwife of some
ability, or other reason(s) unknown.
Warren and Florence, would have known (or known of) each other since
childhood, as Warren's grandfather, Leonard
Hale, and Florence's grandmother, Almira
(Scofield) Jaquith, had married as second spouses. Thus Warren's
mother, Catherine Hale, and Florences mother, Adelia (Jaquith) Hubbard
(at age 4 and 2 respectively when this marriage occurred in 1842) would
have been raised as stepsisters in the household of Leonard Hale.
Warren Buckman spent his earlier years in Flintville on his parents
farm. He is quoted as follows regarding hop growing on the farm:
" While the
clearings of the settlers were yet too small to make it practical to
raise grain for the market. There was much casting about to find a crop
which could be grown on a small acreage and sold as a money crop. My
father had come from New York state wher hop growing was quite a
business, and it occurred to him that hops might solve the problem. He
talked the matter over with his near neighbor, H.P. Hayden, and they
decided to each try two acres. The roots for starting were mostley wild,
being dug in the woods along the river. These were planted in hills
about six feet apart each way. The vines were thinned to two to a hill
and a cedar pole twelve to fifteen feet high stuck in the center for the
vines to climb on. They were cultivated the same as corn; it was a nice
shady place to work in during hot weather; but the real fun was
hop-picking time in the fall. Each yard about three crews of four girls
to the crew, each crew had a large box holding sixteen bushels which was
divided into four quarters of four bushels each which was called a box
and was considered a day's work for a girl. A man tended each crew,
bringing the poles and taking them away, and woe to the one who jarred
the box, shaking down the contents. The girls received 50 cents per box,
with board and lodging. The two yards were onlyl labout forty rods
apart, and every night the girls had a gay time. Our house was small and
sleeping room was short. The girls had to sleep 'three in a bed,' and I
remember one girl who complained one morning that she 'had to sleep all
night on the ridgepole.'
My father put up a building
for a dry kiln, where the hops were dried by artificial heat until by
taking one lby the stem and blowing on the tip, one could blow off the
petals. Then they were baled and ready for market. After two or three
years the price of hops went so low that the yards did not pay and they
were plowed up. This was about 1870, and as far as I know the industry
has never been revived in Brown Co." (A Story of Pittsfield and
Suamico)
Warren Buckman also wrote poetry and the following are two examples
of his work.
The Boards on the Bottom of the Rack
There's an old log barn on my fathers' little farm,
And I know every rafter in its frame,
I have bumped my head on every knot and peg,
As I mowed away the clover when it came.
You may talk about the perfume of the new mown hay,
Of the sweet aroma of the clover in the bay,
But to stand waist deep in that stringy, tangled heap,
With the sweat running rivers down your back,
There's nothing that looks better to the fellow in the
mow
Than the boards on the bottom of the rack.
It's a man size job to pitch off a load of hay,
So they always put the boy up in the mow'
They expect him to do the work that's meant for two,
But they never stop to figure out just how.
When the mercury stands a hundred the hay keeps coming
up,
And you wonder if that load comprises all the
season's cut,
When your throat is full of hay seed and your nose is
full of dust,
And your head is palpitating like as if 'twas boing
to bust,
You forget about the perfume that the wind is wafting
back
When you hear the pitchfork rattle on the bottom of
the rack.
Oh, the bottom of the rack looks good to me,
It's just about the color that it ought to be;
No painting in the world could improve the shade
Of the bottom of the rack that father made.
Those Dear Old Wrinkled Hands
In a weather beaten cottage
Where the spreading maples stand,
I was raised from early childhood
Til I grew to be a man.
That old weather beaten cottage
By the roadside there still stands
But what most in memory lingers
Is a pair of wrinkled hands.
How distinctly I remember
When a little barefoot boy,
I stood close beside my mother
While she fixed a broken toy.
On her lips she'd wet her fingers,
Brush the hair back from my brow;
Would to God those dear old fingers
Once again could do that now.
They knit all my sox and mittens
And the washed and patched my clothes,
They smoothed out the many wrinkles
From my little childish woes,
And the soothed my brow in sickness
When life held by slender strands,
Often since in pain and anguish
I have missed those dear old hands.
On her silent breast they're folded
And have been for many years,
And the grass that grows above them
Has been wet with bitter tears;
And if choice were mine for wishing--
Choice my lonely heart demands---
It would be to press with ferver
Once again those dear old hands.
When the Master sends his angel
For to guide my journey home,
And my wand'ring footsteps never
More on this old earth shall roam,
When I enter that fair mansion
Where the prince of glory stands,
Then mine eyes shall ne'er tire feasting
On those dear old wrinkled hands.
W.L. Buckman, Amberg, Wis. Oct. 1917.
|
"On a cold and frosty
morning in the early fall of 1883, the creak of wagon wheels and the
sound of hoofs broke the stillness along the Pine River road. Up into
the northern wilderness from Green Bay came Warren Buckman, the first
permanent settler of Amberg. The wagon was well loaded with blankets,
clothing, guns, and ammunition, all materials for starting a trading
post.
He pitched his tents just
west of the Pike river across from the present Catholic church. For
several weeks he traded his wares for furs, ginseng, and venison
saddles. In late fall he left for Green Bay to replenish his stock. When
he returned in the spring he built his log trading post on the east bank
of the Pike near the foot of Dow Rapids. The remains of this old
building can still be seen." (History of Amberg, Sophomore Class
of the Amberg High School, 1947).
Warren Buckman served as Amberg's town chairman and member of the
Marinette Co. Board, from 1892-1893, from 1913-1916, and from 1918-1920.
Children of Warren and Florence Buckman:
i. Geneva
Lenore Buckman,
b. Amberg, Dec. 7, 1889,
m. Edward
Nickel, Amberg, Aug. 26, 1910,
b. Princeton, Wis. Jan. 24, 1887, son of Fredrick
and Wilhemina (Reitz) Nickel of Zeibenschlossen,
Posen, E. Prussia.
Children
of Geneva Lenore and Edward Nickel.
i. Warren Fredrick Nickel,
b. June 17, 1911,
m. Martha
Pawlicki of Crivitz, children: Warren, Dennis,
Sharon, Mark.
ii. Cecil Nickel,
m. Agnes
Lundgren of Marinette, child: Laurence.
iii. Dorothy Nickel,
b. Dec. 6, 1915,
m. (1). Leroy
Enquist, one child, Sandra,
m. (2). Elmer
West, children, Elmer,
Jr. and Stephen.
iv. Florence Nickel,
b. Oct. 9, 1920,
m. Elmer
Churchill, Iron Mr., Mich. Dec. 22, 1938,
b. Harmony, Wis. May
30, 1915.
Children of Florence and Elmer Churchill:
i. Allen Churchill,
Living
ii. Diane Churchill, Living
iii. Michael Churchill (the
author of this history of the Hales), Living.
iv. Jeffery, Churchill Living.
ii. Alberg
Elijah Buckman,
b. Amberg, 1895,
d. Crivitz, 1956,
m. (1). Deena
(____),
m. (2). Hazel
Cutler,
m. (3) Marie
Barlow, no children from 3rd. marriage.
Children of Albert and Deena Buckman,
i. Warren
Arthur Buckman,
died young, married ?, no childrern.
ii. Winfield Buckman,
became a missionary in South America, children: Larry,
Susan.
Child of Albert and Hazel Cutler
Buckman:
i Joy Buckman,
m. (1). Dean
Malone Buckman,
no children,
m. (2). Norman
Krumrei, children: Richard,
Terry, Tracy, Marty.