In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1908) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1831
From The history of Rock County, Wisconsin; its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc. (1879), Rock County, Wisconsin; a new history of its cities, villages, towns, citizens and varied interests, from the earliest times, up to date (1908)
HON. JOHN WINANS, the son of William R. Winans and Catharine Winans, whose maiden name was Simonson, was born in the town of Vernon, county of Sussex, N. J., on the 27th day of September, 1831; his father, a descendant of the Hollanders who were among the earliest settlers of that State, was a relative of Hans Ross and Thomas Winans, of Baltimore, and he was at the head of a large manufacturing establishment in that city for a number of years, and he, in connection with Ross and Thomas Winans, spent several years in Russia in manufacturing and keeping in repair the rolling-stock on the railroad between St. Petersburg and Moscow, under contracts with the Russian Government, and in this and his other business pursuits, he accumulated a handsome property; he also held for many years the office of Justice of the Peace in New Jersey, and, though he was not specially educated for the legal profession, he was admitted to practice in all the courts of that State, and his great natural abilities soon gave him a lucrative practice and a commanding position, showing that had he in early life chosen this field of labor, he would have attained the highest rank in the profession; during the last years of his life, he was a resident of Rock Co. in this State, where his aged widow still resides. The subject of this sketch spent his early years attending school and assisting his father in his business; he received an academic education at Deckertown Academy, in Sussex Co., in his native State, after spending some time at a, private school at Warwick, Orange Co., N. Y.; after reading law at Newton and Trenton, N. J., about four years, and a portion of the time with the Hon. Martin Ryerson, since one of the Circuit and Supreme Court Judges of that State, he was, in the fall of 1855, admitted to practice in all its courts. On the lath day of November, 1855, he married Maggie A. Cochran, the beautiful and accomplished daughter of Dennis Cochran, with whom he lived in constant and undisturbed felicity until the 22d day of December, 1878, when she was called from her earthly home and friends, to whom she was tenderly attached, to the. everlasting abodes ot the blessed, to receive the reward of a pure, charitable and unostentatious Christian life. In the fall of 1857, Mr. Winans removed to Wisconsin, locating at Janesville, engaging in the practice of his profession, where he has since resided. The source of every lawyer's wealth, so far as the practice of his profession is concerned, is in the confidence reposed in him as a man and lawyer, by the people with whom he becomes acquainted; this confidence, though easily lost, can only be won and retained by a long, useful and honorable professional career. The large, successful and constantly increasing legal business of Mr. Winans in both civil and criminal cases in Rock and other counties of this State, shows that he has not only won the confidence and esteem of his fellow-citizens, but that he most worthily retains them. He combines in himself most of those qualifications which are requisite for an able lawyer; he is upright and learned in his profession, industrious and attentive to business, bringing to all cases intrusted to him, thorough preparation and careful study. Some members of the bar have great power in discussing questions of fact to a jury, but fail in arguing questions of law to the Court; Mr. Winans is fortunate in possessing abilities which enable him to excel in both positions, and it would be difficult for his professional brethren to determine in which place he takes highest rank and is most successful; his arguments to the jury are clear, forcible and strong, and, in important cases, are characterized by a sincerity, zealand persuasive eloquence that at once commands attention, and not unfrequently touches every heart; while those addressed to the Court are acute and clear, learned, comprehensive and able; and it is proper to add, that he is constantly actuated by such a spirit of integrity and manliness of soul that it is quite impossible for him to discuss a question of fact to the jury, or of law to the Court, in which he has no confidence himself; we think his legal brethren throughout the State, among whom he is well known,' accord to him a position in the very foremost rank of the profession; to the endowments already mentioned, he adds other qualifications which, though less important, are not to be overlooked or underestimated, especially by young men just entering the profession, and among them are a calmness of mind and a serenity of temper and disposition which enable him, under all circumstances, however vexatious or trying, to preserve his self-possession; and we doubt whether he was ever known by anyf his professional brethren, among whom he has practiced almost a quarter of a century, to fly into an unseemly passion; and his uniform kindness and courtesy to all are as remarkable as they are worthy of imitation; it is unnecessary to add that such a man is ever a faithful friend, and an upright, honorable citizen. In politics, he is a Democrat, and the fact that he resides in a city, county and State strongly Republican, sufficiently attests the sincerity of his political opinions; he is not ambitious for office, and avoids, rather than seeks for the honors which official positions bestow; still he has been called ]y his fellow-citizens to fill several, such as Alderman, City Attorney of Janesville for several terms; in b864, he was a delegate to the National Democratic Convention held in Chicago; in 1868, the Democratic candidate for Congress in the Secolid Congressional District, composed of the counties of Rock, Jefi'person, Dane and Columbia, which being largely Republican, he was defeated; in the fall of 1873, he was elected to the Assembly from the city of Janesville, and, as a member of that body, held the important position of Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. To every public position he has been called to fill, he has brought abilities amply adequate to the performance of every duty devolving upon him, and a sincerity of purpose which places all his acts above civil or reproach. He is still in the fullness of his usefulness and strength.
As printed in The history of Rock County, Wisconsin; its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc. (1879). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
John Winans was one of the leading members of the Wisconsin bar and among the well-rounded and most forceful characters of the state. He was a native of New Jersey, being born in Vernon, Sussex county, on the 27th of September, 1831. The family is of Dutch descent, its members being among the pioneers of New Jersey. Mr. Winans' father, AVilliam R., and his uncle, Ross — the latter a prominent citizen of Baltimore — were men of enterprise and rare executive ability, and for many years were identified with the construction and operation of the railroad between St. Petersburg and Moscow.
The boy and young man received his education — common as well as professional — in his native state, studying law at various offices in Newton and Trenton. At the latter place he enjoyed the tutelage of Martin Ryerson, afterward distinguished as a judge of the Circuit and State Supreme courts. In 1855 Mr. Winans was admitted to practice in all the courts of New Jersey, but two years thereafter (in the spring of 3857) removed to Janesville, Wis., and commenced that long and substantial career which placed him in the van of his profession as an advocate in cases civil or criminal. Eloquent and brilliant, at the same time he never allowed his feelings or passions to cloud his judgment. Although there were few members of the bar who could so sway a jury, his artillery was trained with legal accuracy and rested solidly upon the evidence and the facts, and there was no member of the profession in southern Wisconsin who took part in more cases of importance and carried them to a successful conclusion than Mr. Winans. Of the noted suits with which he was identified may be mentioned the murder cases of Mrs. Mack and Ashton, and the Edgerton "Bible" and Jackman will cases.
When Mr. Winans first located in Janesville he became a member of the firm of Winans & Dixon, and subsequently formed the partnerships of Winans & McElroy, Winans & Fethers, Winans, Fethers & Jeffris, Winans & Hyzer and Winans & Russell.
Mr. Winans was a Democrat of even more than state reputation, although he was not considered a strong partisan. His political record dates back more than thirty years, when as a young man of thirty-three he attended the national Democratic convention which in 1864 assembled at Chicago. In 1868 he was defeated as a candidate for congress from the second district. This, however, was anticipated, as the district had always been decisively Republican. Mr. Winans represented Janesville in the assembly in 1874, 1882, 1887 and 1891; was elected to congress from the first district in the fall of 1882, overcoming, by his ability and popularity, the usual Republican majority of about 5,000, and at different times served his fellow-citizens in such positions of local trust as those of alderman, city attorney and mayor. Under his administration as mayor most of the city improvements were established, such as water works, fire alarm system, gates at street crossings, street cars, lighting of the streets by electricity, etc., etc.
In 1887 Mr. Winans received the Democratic votes of members of the legislature for United States senator in opposition to Philetus Sawyer, and upon the assembling of the national convention of Democratic clubs, held in Baltimore on July 4, 1888, was made chairman of that body. He was upon several occasions chosen as an elector on the national ticket or a delegate to the national conventions.
From all of the foregoing it will be correctly inferred that Mr. Winans was a leader of men. It may be added that he was such by inherent strength of character, and that the offices which he held came to him as a free gift from the people. After a lingering illness he died at his home in Janesville on January 17,
Isaac Woodle was born at "Washington, "Washington county, Pa., November 9, 1819, and lived there until he attained his majority; was graduated from Washington College in 1840, and soon afterward became a resident of Janesville, "Wis., where he studied law and was admitted to the bar. Mr. "Woodle gave much time to the building of railroads and was not extensively known as a lawyer. In 1861 he was active in raising a cavalry regiment for service in the Civil War, and became quartermaster with the rank of major. His service in the army brought on an illness which caused his death April 3, 1862.
"He was a noble, generous, able and unselfish man, and while his talents made no great lasting impression on the annals of his time, his place in the hearts of his surviving peers is second to none."
Sanford A. Hudson. The subject of this sketch was born at Oxford, "Worcester county, Mass., May 16, 1817, the son of Amos Hudson and Mary nee Fisk. The genealogy of his father's family has not been carefully preserved, but it is claimed that he was descended from the same ancestry as the great navigator and explorer, Hendrick Hudson, while on the mother's side he was descended from Richard Haven, who immigrated from England and settled in Lynn, Mass., about the year 1644. His maternal grandfather. Dr. Daniel Fisk, was one of the leading physicians of his county and a man of considerable prominence. From a published genealogy of the descendants of the above named Richard Haven, and embracing some eight or nine degrees of consanguinity and upward of thirty thousand persons, the descent of our subject from this common ancestor is thus traced: "Sanford A. Hudson, son of Mary Fisk, daughter of Daniel Fisk, son of Isaac Fisk, son of Hannah Haven, daughter of Richard Haven, son of Moses Haven, son of (the original) Richard Haven." He began the study of law, entering the law office of Dyer N. Burnham, Esq., at Sackett's Harbor. He was admitted to the bar in 1848, after being examined with a class of sixteen, half of whom were rejected. It was with much hesitancy and embarrassment that he entered upon the practice of his profession, for although
As printed in Rock County, Wisconsin; a new history of its cities, villages, towns, citizens and varied interests, from the earliest times, up to date (1908). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: George Washington John R. Bennett (b. 1820)
Their biographies name John Winans: Edward Ryan Edward H. Ryan (b. 1852)
The printed record stops around 1879. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.