George W. Williams

EORGE W. WILLIAMS (deceased) was Vj born in the town of Russell, Hampden County, Mass., on the 5tii of March, 1810. The family is of Welsh origin. When Mr. Williams was ten years of age, his parents, Dudley and Mary (Yale) Williams, removed to Portage County, Ohio. On the 21st of April, 1833, he was married to Miss Nancy A. Ferry, who was born in Amherst, Hampshire County, Mass., March 11), 1817, and was a daughter of Aaron and Elizabeth (Gilbert) Ferry'. In the fall of 1832, Mr. Ferry removed to Portage County, Ohio, where Mr. and Mrs. Williams (irst met. In May, 1841, with their only child, Mr. Williams and wife started from their old home in Ohio, in a one-horse wagon, and came all the way to Oconomowoc by that conveyance, such household goods as they possessed having been shipped by lake to Milwaukee. The family of three arrived where is now located the city of Oconomowoc, on the 22d of May, 1841. Here Mr. Williams exchanged his horse and wagon for a claim of one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 28, and erecting a cabin, settled with his family fifty-three years ago. I'pon this property he resided until his death, which occurred April 17, 1893.

Mr. Williams and wife became the parents of seven children, six of whom died in early childhood; only one, Mary' Elizabeth, survives the death of her father. She was the second in order of birth, and is a native of the Buckeye State. She now resides with her mother at the old homestead. She has been twice married and has two sons, George W. Muiiger and Dr. Dudley A. lladlcy, of Oconomowoc.

Mr. Williams was a most exemplary and respected citizen. He was one of the prominent founders of the Methodist Episcopal Ciuiich of Oconomowoc, and was ever one of its liberal supporters. A man of strong convictions, lie was by nature afifeetionate and kind hearted, coming.finding the respect of all who knew him.

In his political connections Mr. Williams was a Republican, but he never sought office at the hands of his party, preferring the quiet walks of life and the society of his friends and family to all other enjoyments. He and his worthy and faithful wife journeyed through life together for the long period of sixty years. Mrs. Williams and their daughter reside at the old homestead, a pleasant place adjoining the city limits of Oconomowoc on the north and near the north hauk nf Fowler Lake.

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HON. KLISH A I'K.VKL. For fifty-lwo years has this sterling old gentleman been an honored citizen of Waukesha County, having located in this part of Wisconsin in the spring of 1812. Mr. Pearl is a native of Windham County, Conn., where his birth dccuired March 7, 1819, he being the third in a family com[)i-using two sons and a daughter born nnlo Kufus and Abigail (Hyles) Pearl. Of this family our subject is the only survivor. His father, who was a native of Windham County, Conn., was born in 1787 and died on the '22d of June, 1819. He received such educational advantages as the times of his youth afforded, and on reaching maturity engaged in the manufacture and sale of cotton goods, being one of the first to embark in that business in this country, to which occuiialion he devoted his entire life, lie was a Christian gentleman and often exhorted in public. His wife, who was a native of the.same county as her husband, was born on the lath of January, 1799, and died on the 13th of February, 1894, at the advanced age of ninety-five years and one month, her death occurring in Ashford, Conn.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

In 1842 imr. Pearl bade adieu to his New England home and emigrated to Wisconsin. (Joing to New York City he took a steamer on the Hudson River to Albany, thence to P>buffalo by way of the Erie Canal. From that city he shipped on a side wheeler bound for Milwaukee, and on arriving at the latter port was taken.ashore on a "lighter." There were not more than one hundred houses in Milwaukee at that time and they were poor at that. There were )ilia)s twelve stores in the place, one of which was carried on by SoUmion.hineau, who was a conspicuous person in the hamlet. There was not a railroad in the present state of Wisconsin, nor were there any of the factors of civilization that go to make a great state save in their infancy. Mr. Pearl first stopped at the "Cottage Inn," well known to many of the earlier settlers of this part of the state, at which he had put up in the summer of 18;i9. Where the large depots of the different railroads now stand was a swamp, the old light house stood near that of the Chicago & Northwestern, and in 18.'9 he said he could have gone over the entire Third Ward in a boat. From this state he has witnessed the growth of the city until it is one of the most prosperous in this section of the country. Coming at once to Waukesha County, Mr. Pearl located on a claim of three hundred and twenty acres of land in the town of Lisbon, a part of which forms his present farm. His first habitation, which still stands, was a boarded up shanty, and so far in advance of the log cabin was it that it was at once conceded by the settlers to be the home of an aristocrat. Indians and deer abounded in the country; the former often passed by his home, while he has seen as many as fifty of the latter in one drove. Ox teams were used in carrying on the work of liie faiinand for drawing the grain to market, which, almost without exception, meant hauling it to Milwaukee, that being the nearest market. The roads were what were called corduroy, made of logs and laid side by side across the road and were most miserable. Mr. Pearl was a resident of the county when it was set off from that of Milwaukee, and has therefore been identified with it since and before it had an existence as Waukesha County. The first school house erected in the town of Lisbon W!is built a little northwest of his iiome and was known as No. 2, thougii the location was afterward changed. In the early days the settlers met at the iioiisc to hold church services and their first church, which was erected by the Baptist organization, was built at Merton.

February 22, 18-14, Mr. Pearl married Miss Sarah Trowbridge, a native of Asiifoid, Windham County, Conn. Mrs. Pearl's birth occurred on the 13th of January, 1820. She grew to womanhood in the "Nutmeg State" and there received a common school education. Mr. and Mrs. Pearl became the parents of four sons, two of whom are living, namely: Edward S., who was educated in the common schools, is engaged in agricultural pursuits at Merrillon,.jackson County, Wis. He was one of the brave boys who went in defense of his country and served faithfully as a soldier. For a wife he those Miss Louisa Eastman, by whom lie has tiiree dauglilers. Eugene, the youngest of the family, is an artist by profession, his place of residence being in the city of New York. His education is largely the result of his own exertion. His wife was Mrs. Julia (.Sherwood) Saunder. The deceased sons are: Pliilip H. and Frank Hichinoud. Philip H., the eldest of the family, was born Xovember 17, 1844, and died August 14, 1887. His primary education was aciiuired in the public schools, after which he was a student in Waylaiikl Academy at Beaver Dam for one year. He also pursued his studies in Wesleyan Academy, where he remained a year or two, at Wilbraham, Mass. In the latter institution he wjis a tutor for some time. He was a successful teacher and was employed in the schools of Hartford, Conn., for seven years, being Principal of the Union Graded School. In ijolitics he was a Heiniblican. He married Miss Mary.lane Spencer, by whom he had a son and daughter.

In his political sentiments Mr. Pearl was an ultra Aliolilionisl, but on the organization of the Republican party he espoused the principles advocated by it, and has ever continued to support its men and measures. He has voted for such men as John P. Hale, Gen. John C. Fremont, Abraham Lincoln, and well remembers the Harrison and Tyler campaign. As an ollicial Mr. Pearl has been a valuable citizen, having served as Chairman of the Town Board one year; he was Assessor of his township for several terms, and was connected with the public schools as an officer. In 1853 he was the choice of his district to represent their interests in the Assembly, and it was during this session that Judge Hubbel was impeached. In religious faith Mr. and Mrs. Pearl are members of the Baptist Church of Merton, in which he has been a Trustee since the organization of the society. Of their means they give liberally to the support of the church and its various benevolences.

The Pearl estate now comprises one hundred and seventy-eight acres of the original tract, and lies within three miles of Pewaukee. The beautiful farm house that adorns it is one of the comfortable residences in the township, and the family who reside in it are numbered among the honored and worth pioneers of the town of Lisbon.

HENRY C. MELCHEH resides on section 5, in the town of Summit, within the corporation of the city of Oconomowoc, where he settled in the spring of 1878. His estate comprises forty-three acres, of which some fourteen lie within the city limits. Mr. Melcher has made all the improvements on this property, which is now very valuable, and has a pleasant home and other substantial buildings. He was lion in Greene County, N. Y., on the lotli of OctobcT, 18.50. In 1H,')3, his fatiiei-. Chistoplier Melcher, emigrated to Wisconsin,:ind settled in the town of Rubicon, Dodge County. At the time of his coming to this state, the family consisted of parents and three children, and since becoming residents of Wisconsin, four children have been born. Christopher Melcher removed from Dodge County to Washington Ct)unty in 1871, and later moved to the town of Siininiil. lie resides williiu the city limits of ()ct)nom()woc. where he has made a pleasant home, having went, -three acres of land, which has greatly increased in value since he purchased it. Of the seven children born unto Mr. and Mrs. Christoiiher Melcher, four are living. Henry C. is the eldest. Augustus, the second in order of birth, is a resident of Sprague, Wash., where he is engaged in teaching and farming. Walter S. is a resident of Hartford, Washington County, Wis. Mrs. Cora Nichols, of Milwaukee, is the only daughter now living. Those that have passed away are Mary, who was the wife of Giles Wilcox, born in 1818. and who died in 1876; Emma, who died in.lune, 188.'5, at the age of twenty-six years, and Charles Lewis, who died at the age of fifteen years, in October, 1877.

Christoi)her Melcher was a native of Holland, and came to the United States at the age of about twenty years. For a number of years he lived in Greene County, N. Y., and was there married to Sophia Horning, a native of the province of Baden.

Henry C. Melcher was born in Greene County,

As printed in Portrait and biographical record of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, containing biographical sketches of old settlers and representative citizens of the county (1894). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.