- JOHN DAWE, the popular and efficient Postmaster of Edgerton,
was appointed to that position
- in August, 1885, receiving his commission on the 1st day
of May, 1886. He came to Rock County in September, 1856, having
arrived at what is now Edgerton, then known as Fulton Depot,
on the 2nd of that month. He was born in 1835, in Devonshire,
England, near the city of Plymouth, noted as the port from which
the "Mayflower" sailed in 1620. His parents are John
and Mary (ANDREWS) DAWE, who reside in England. They had a family
of eleven children and with the exception of the youngest son,
George, who died in the fall of 1886, aged thirty years, all
are yet living at this writing.
- The subject of this sketch was reared to manhood upon his
father's farm and was the first of the
- family to come to America, but afterwards his brother Thomas
R., and his sister Ellen, now the wife of Harry LANGMAN, emigrated
to this country and are now residents of Santa Barbara, Cal.
Embarking on a sailing vessel bound for Quebec, Canada, Mr. DAWE
safely crossed the Atlantic, and on the 24th day of May, 1855,
reached his destination. He worked during that season on a farm
near Kingston, and the following year, as before stated, came
to Rock County, being accompanied from Canada, by a young man
named Samuel CAWKER, a nephew of the CAWKER Brothers, who improved
the waterpower at Fulton. Mr. DAWE resided in the town of Fulton
for some time and then removed to Dane County, where he made
his home for several years, and later became a resident of Porter
Township. Purchasing the farm now owned by John H. NICHOLS, he
engaged in its cultivation and improvement for many years and
was quite successful in that line of business. At length, abandoning
agricultural pursuits, in the fall of 1883, he came to Edgerton,
where he has since made his home, and now occupies the position
of Postmaster.
- Mr. DAWE has been twice married, his first union being with
Ann S. DOWNING, a daughter of
- Elias DOWNING, one of the early settlers of the town of Fulton.
She died on the 17th day of April, 1871, leaving three sons -
John; Elias, who is living in Negaunee, Mich.; and William, who
is assisting his father in the office. After the death of his
first wife, Mr. DAWE was joined in wedlock with Hannah SPIKE,
who was born in England, but who came to America with her parents
in early childhood. Her father was Charles SPIKE, one of the
early settlers of Dane County, where he still makes his home.
Four children have been born of this second marriage, two of
whom are living - Mary Emma and Frank Richard.
- Mr. DAWE has held various official positions, the duties
of which he has ever discharged with a
- faithfulness and ability. He was Town Clerk of Fulton many
years ago, also served as member of the Board of Supervisors
of that town, and while a resident of the town of Porter, was
Chairman of the Town Board, and a member of the County Board.
Since 1885, he has been secretary of the Edgerton Tobacco Manufacturing
Company. Politically, he is a Democrat and cast his first presidential
vote for Stephen A. Douglas, in 1860. He has made several visits
to his native land, having crossed the Atlantic seven times and
in his travels has acquired an extensive knowledge of men and
events, which he would not otherwise have gained. Mr. DAWE is
one of the representative men of Edgerton, and is respected by
all with whom business or pleasure have brought him in contact.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 407-408.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
|