Stitt Family of Peshtigo
Researched in
part by Pat Drees
Wilson Stitt was born June
28, 1821
in June
28,1821 in Maghadone
Co, Londonderry, Ireland.
He came with his parents and 12 siblings, immigrating first to English
Canada (Colborne, Ottawa). There in 1853, thirty-four year old Wilson Stitt
married seventeen year old, Canadian born, Caroline and
the couple had all but the youngest of their children.
"Uncle Wilson Stitt was in the lumber
business on the Gatineau River, Quebec. Then he removed to the State of
Wisconsin. His wife died from the
effects of the Chicago Fire. 1871
Afterwards they removed to the State of Washington, perhaps some of them are
now living there." (Rev Wilson Stitt
(1865-1939)) Wilson Stitts parents:
James Stitt 1773-1844 of Colborne and Eliza Steele 1783-1848 Diane
Moorhead diane.moorhead@sympatico.ca
In 1866 Wilson
and Caroline, along with children Robert
age 12, Phebe/Phoebe
age 9, William age 8, Eliza age 7, James age 5 and Delia age 1 left Ottawa,
Canada and boarded a boat for immigration
to the US. After landing in the Port of Chicago they traveled north,
settling in town of Peshtigo, which was then Oconto County, Wisconsin (now
Marinette County). Little Caroline, the youngest, was born
October 31, 1868 in town of Peshtigo.
The following is local oral
history passed down in the area among survivors' families. [also see: Peshtigo
Fire (Home Page) ]
In the late Sunday
evening the winds became strong and very warm. There had been heat and smoke
for weeks but this was more intense. An orange glow in the distance turned
rapidly to red. At first the people of the village and immediate surrounding
area had thoughts of burying their valuables and trying to wait out the
night in or near their homes. It wasn't long before many knew that the
river was their only hope of survival.
Traveling preachers had been
giving hell fire and damnation sermons about this being the end of time. An
unknown number of people accepted this fate and stayed in their quarters
awaiting the inevitable, seen through the windows of their homes or in their
yards reading from the bibles or in prayer. However, a large number chose to
try survival. Among these were the Stitt family, who joined countless others
in their blind struggle across the flaming bridge
and down the very high, steep bank to the mud flats along one side of the
greatly diminished trickling river. The only people in this area of the
fire to survive were the ones who made it to the flats and managed to stay
mostly submerged and unexposed during the most intense part of the flaming
tornadic fury.
Nearby neighbors who were also in the blaze and in the
rush for, and chaos at, the mud flats along the Peshtigo River that ran
through the village included surnames Mellen, Armstrong and Oaks. All
7 of the Stitt children were in the night time fire of Sunday, October 8,
1871. Mother Caroline and 3 year old daughter little Caroline
went missing during the blaze. The rest were with their father Wilson.
Caroline was identified by her wedding band only; her remains were otherwise
not recognizable. Little Caroline was thought to be with her mother and the
remains, mostly ashes, were unidentifiable, so she was presumed dead. There
was nothing of little Caroline that could be found after the intense heat,
since she was so small, and the rain and wind after the fire scattered much
of the ash remains before recovery was able to be made.
Wilson Stitts' date
of death was August 14, 1878 at age 56 years old. He
is buried at Peshtigo Cemetery near his wife Caroline and
daughter Delia who died in 1873. The
surviving Stitt children remained in town of Peshtigo with their father
Wilson until his death which was attributed, in part, to the damage of his
lungs and extremities he had suffered in the fire.
Eldest son Robert
M. Stitt moved and in 1880 married Paulina Winslow
in Taylor County, Wisconsin. By 1900 the couple was living
with three children in Duluth, Minnesota where Robert was a lumberman. The
couple were living in Duluth in 1910 where Robert was listed as a retire
lumberman. He had fathered 6 births but only 2 children survived; daughter
Jane born 1891 in Wisconsin and son Arthur born 1898 in Minnesota. Robert
had passed away by 1920 and his widow Pauline was living with their son and
8 year old grand daughter Mary Stitt in Duluth, where they took in roomers.
Pauline and granddaughter Mary Stitt were on the Duluth census of 1930
running the boarding house.
Phebe Stitt married
Hiram Sutherland in 1874 and lived in Peshtigo. for a number of years. Hiram
had immigrated from Canada in 1870 and worked as a lumberman into his late
70's. By 1900 Phoebe had given birth to 10 children all in Wisconsin, with
9 living; Emma born 1875, James born March 1877, Cora: born
March 1880, Della born October 1883, \ Stella born October 1883, Nellie
born December 1884, John born March 1890, Hiram born October 1893 and
Beatrice born July 1896. The couple was living in Peshtigo in
1920 with their youngest daughter. Hiram Sutherland was born 11 May 1849 in
Canada and died 30 July 1931 in Peshtigo, WI. He was the son of Isaac
Sutherland and Althea Warner. Phoebe Stitt Sutherland died 17 May 1934 in
Peshtigo, WI.
William Stitt was 14 years old at the time of the Peshtigo fire. He
married Margaret Laura in 1879 and they had three children; Robert L. born
June 1880 in Wisconsin, Bessie born July 1887 in Wisconsin and William John
born October 1890 in Wisconsin. The family lived in city of Marinette,
Wisconsin, in 1900 where William was a lumber manufacturer. Between
1905 and 1910 he and his wife Margaret Laura and their three children, moved
west and are found in Orting, Pierce County, Washington. William had passed
away by 1930 and his widowed wife Margaret had taken in a boarder at her
home in King, Washington.
Eliza (Helen) Stitt
married Samuel S. Hamilton in Peshtigo. Samuel was born in Illinois and both
his parents were born in Kentucky. Their children were all born in
Wisconsin. Their children included Carrie M. born 1876, Edna born 1877,
Lucille born November 1879, Nellie C. born April 1878, Henry C. born July
1880, Frank F. born July 1883, Daisy B. born October 1885, Ray
S. born October 1887 and Howard born September 1891. Samuel
was a widowed farmer by 1900 and living in town of Ellsworth, Pierce County,
Wisconsin, with 6 of their children. The widowed Samuel S. Hamilton was in
Stanley, South Dakota in 1910 with three of their children.
James did not die in
the fire, as some researchers have reported. He filled out and filed a Del.
of Intention on December 21, 1918 in Seattle, Washington State. James was a
laborer, and was described as white; medium complexion, height 5 feet 11
inches, weight 165 pounds, hair grey, eyes brown, scar on chin and index
finger of right hand, born in Canada April 17, 1862. He was single and lived
at 5223 Russel Ave., Seattle, Washington. James was single and living in
Seattle, Washington in 1920.
Anella
Matilda (Delia) survived the fire and lived until November 7, 1873. She was
9 years and 9 days old. She is buried in Peshtigo Cemetery along with her
parents.
Youngest child Caroline was lost in the Peshtigo Fire,
Sunday, October 8, 1871. Her remains were never identified for burial.
Wilson Stitt
born: June 28, 1821 in Maghadone
Co, Londonderry, Ireland
died: March
14, 1870 in Peshtigo, Oconto County, Wisconsin - Aged 56 years, 9
months, 16 days
occupation: lumberman
Caroline Stitt (maiden
name unknown)
born: June 1840
in English Canada
married: 1853 in English Canada (Colborne)
- to Wilson Stitt
died:
October 8, 1871 in Peshtigo,
Oconto County, Wisconsin - Aged
34 years, 2 months
Children of Wilson and Caroline Stitt:
Robert M. Stitt
born: Jan. 12, 1855 in
Colborne, Canada
immigrated: 1866
married:
1880 Paulina Wilson in Taylor County, Wisconsin ; born Oct. 3, 1860;
died April 9, 1933, Duluth, Minnesota.
died: March
11, 1913 in Duluth, Minnesota; gravestone is shaped in a 10 foot log
placed on cutting blocks (concrete) inscribed "STITT".
Note on
Robert: WI. Lived in Duluth, Minnesota; 3 children; occupation-
lumberman in 1900, retired 1910.
Phebe Stitt
born: 1857 in
English Canada
immigrated: 1866
married: Hiram Sutherland; born May 1849 in Canada.
died: May 17, 1934 in Peshtigo, WI
Note on Phoebe:
Lived in Peshtigo, WI; birthed 10 children, 9 surviving in 1900;
William Stitt
born: 1858 in
English Canada
married: 1979 and lived in Wisconsin until
1905 - 1910, then moved to Washington.
died: between 1910 and
1930 probably in Washington
Eliza
(Helen) Stitt
born: 1859 in English Canada
immigrated: 1866
married:
Samuel Hamilton on June 29, 1874 in Peshtigo, WI
died: between
1891 and 1900 in Wisconsin
James Stitt
born: 1861 in English Canada single in 1920.
immigrated: 1866
single
died: after 1920 probably in Seattle, Washington
Note on James: moved
to Seattle, Washington,
Delia
(Anella Matilda) Stitt
born: 1865 in English Canada
immigrated: 1866
died;
Nov. 7 1873 in Peshtigo, Oconto County, age
9 years. & 9 days
Caroline Stitt
born: 1868 in Peshtigo, Wisconsin
died:
October 8, 1871 in Peshtigo, Wisconsin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Extended Wilson Stitt Family of Ireland and Canada
Map Source: Atlas
of Canada
"Farms and Families -
Reflections from the changing countryside:, Stittsville Women's Institute,
Tuidsmuir History Committee (1969). McMaster University Library.
Lineage of the Wilson Stitt Family Of Peshtigo
Generation 1
John
Stitt and Martha Jackson,in
Maghadone Co, Londonderry, Ireland, were
paternal grandparents of Wilson Stitt.
Generation 2
James Stitt and
Eliza Steele of in
Maghadone Co, Londonderry, Ireland, immigrated to Colborne
(Canada) were the parents of Wilson Stitt who was one of 13 children.
Generation 3
The record lists the 13 children of James and Eliza:
1. William (b. 1797 d.
1824)
2. John (b. 1800, d.
NY 1829)
3. Martha (b. 1802,
died 1838, married Jackson; 3 children: Luke, Matilda & James)
4. James (b 1804, d.
Goulborn 1867)
5. Jackson Stitt (b.
1806 d. Colborne Nov 25, 1859 (buried
at Dungannon Churchyard,
Wawanosh Twp.,
Huron Co Founder
of Stittsville, Carleston County, Canada.)
6. Luke (b 1808, d
infant)
7. Daniel (b 1810, d.
Baltimore 1833)
8. Luke (b 1812, d
infant)
9. Joseph (b 1814)
10. Eliza and twin
11. David died infants
12. Wilson (b in
Maghadone Co, Londonderry, Ireland
June 28, 1821, died
in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, 1870}
13. William (b 1824).
"Before Bytown was thought of -- a road was opened through the
long swamp (near Richmond) to Jackson Stitt's and the word was prolonged as
the Third Line of Huntley" - quoted in this book as being from page 141 of
Rev J.L. Gourlay's book "History of the Ottawa Valley"
- On early maps it
was "Stitt's Corners", on the C.P.R. station "Stittville" and to todays
residents its "Stittsville".
This map of Stittsville in 1879. Source: Belden's
Atlas of Carleton County
The initials "J.S." on the edge of the Pack farmon the upper left
corner, stands for Jackson Stitt, the founder of Stittsville.
