- PETER McEWAN, deceased, was numbered among the pioneer settlers
of this county, and was
- one of the first who owned land on the present site of Milton.
He was a native of Scotland, born at Chapple Hill in the Parish
of Monydie, in Perthshire, about ten miles form the city of Perth,
in 1809. His parents, William and Elizabeth (DOW) McEWAN, were
also natives of Perthshire, and his mother was a relative of
Neal DOW. Our subject was educated in the parish school and began
his business career as a clerk in a mercantile establishment.
He was afterwards engaged in merchandising for himself in Auchterader,
where he remained until 1834. He was then a young man and wishing
to try his fortune in the new world he crossed the Atlantic to
America in 1834, settling in Philadelphia, but after a short
residence in that city went by invitation to Niagara, Canada,
where he was employed as a salesman in the store of John YOUNG.
In the month of May, 1837, with a party of eleven he went to
Milwaukee, Wis., and five of the company, among whom was Mr.
McEWAN, continued their journey until reaching what is now know
as Little Prairie, in Rock County. Here our subject located land
on the northeast quarter of section 34, also securing two other
eighty-acre tracts on that section and the southeast quarter
of section 27, all in Milton Township. He hired a man to break
the land and then returned to Canada, settled up his business
in Niagara, and in July again came to this county, bringing with
him a stock of merchandise. He also brought lumber from Cleveland,
Ohio, and tools from Buffalo, N.Y., with which to finish his
log house built about sixty rods form the north line of the northeast
quarter of section 34. For about eight years he was engaged in
merchandising in company with his brother William, in Milton,
and at the same time carried on his farm. His land in this county
was disposed of in the following manner: to Joseph GOODRICH,
in July, 1838, he sold his claim to the north half of the southeast
quarter of section 27, and in December, of the same year gave
to a blacksmith named SPRAGUE an acre, situated near Tompkins
residence, on the south half of the southeast quarter of section
27, which was the first lot given away for the purpose of starting
a village. In the early part of April, 1840, he sold to Mr. GOODRICH
for $100 the south one-half of the southeast quarter of section
27, with the condition that Mr. SPRAGUE's lot should be reserved
to him.
- In 1855, Mr. McEWAN visited his native land and the same
year, in the town of Auchterarder,
- married Miss Lillian SYME. After his marriage he returned
to America, and remained settling up his affairs at this place
until 1858, when he again visited Scotland for the benefit of
his health, but owing to circumstances he decided to permanently
locate at Perth, Scotland, which he did, but visited this country
in 1862, and again in 1876 for the double purpose of visiting
his friends and attending the Centennial Exhibition. His death
occurred in the city of Perth on the 29th day of January, 1870.
His widow still survives him and is living in Perth.
- Mr. McEWAN was in political sentiment a Republican, and religiously,
a member of the
- Presbyterian Church. He was a leading citizen in Milton Township
during the early days of that town and took an active interest
in its welfare and development. He was greatly interested in
educational and church matters, and presented the Congregational
and Methodist denominations, lots upon which to build their churches.
He was among the earliest settlers of the county and many of
the pioneers still cherish his memory as one of their comrades
during the days when Rock County was on the western frontier.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 400-401.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
|