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- TRACY MONTGOMERY, practical and enterprising farmer
- residing on section 29, Porter Township, was born on the
12th day of March, 1818, in Genesee County, N.Y., and is a son
of Henry and Maria (TRACY) MONTGOMERY. His father was a native
of Vermont, having removed from that State to New York in 1802.
He settled near the town of Auburn, where he engaged in the occupation
of farming, until the breaking out of the War of 1812, when he
enlisted in his country's service. After receiving his discharge,
he removed with his family to Genesee County, N.Y., purchasing
100 acres of land, which was then wild and uncultivated. He at
once began clearing a farm, and endured many hardships while
there residing, as that part of the country was quite unsettled.
After several years
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- spent in Genesee county, he sold out, and in the spring of
1836 went to Erie County, N.Y., where he followed farming until
the fall of 1844, when he came to Wisconsin. He decided upon
Rock County as a desirable location, and purchased eighty acres
of land in Johnstown Township, which was also in its primitive
condition. After carrying on the work of development until the
spring of 1846, he again sold out and removed to Green County,
Wis., where his death occurred on the 20th day of September,
1846.
- A family of eleven children were born to Henry and Maria
MONTGOMERY, of whom Tracy,
- of this sketch, is the eldest; C. A., the second, is residing
in Green County, Wis.; Lois L. is now the wife of Asa GLIDDEN,
who resides in Clarendon, Orleans Co., N.Y., John J. makes his
home in Evansville, Wis.; the fifth child died in infancy; Carole
A. died in Washington in the month of August, 1885; Sabrina M.,
wife of William KENDRICK, who is engaged in farming, resides
in the town of Larimore, Grand Forks County, Dak.; Eliza M. wedded
Phineas BALDWIN, a real-estate agent of Madison, Wis.; H. D.
is residing in Fulton, a suburb of Portland Ore.; and the two
youngest children, a son and daughter, were twins, the former
died in infancy and the latter at the age of six years. The mother
of this family passed away Jan. 14, 1869, dying at the home of
her daughter, Mrs. BALDWIN.
- The early life of our subject was spent in the various places
in which his parents resided in New
- York, until 1844, when he came with them to Rock County,
Wis. At that time he purchased eighty acres of land from the
government in Johnstown Township, and at once erected a little
log cabin and began the improvement of the land, continuing the
work of development until the spring of 1846. He completed the
arrangements for a home by his marriage with Miss Persis Paulina
CHADWICK, their wedding being celebrated on the 25th day of August
of that year. He then returned to Wisconsin with his young bride,
who was duly installed as mistress of the pioneer home, where
they continued to reside until the fall of 1847, when, selling
out, they removed to Green County. Mr. MONTGOMERY purchased a
farm of 200 acres in that county, and engaged in its cultivation
until the spring of 1852, when, attracted by the discovery of
gold in California, he started for the Pacific Slope. He formed
one of a party of twelve hundred, who, with three hundred teams,
crossed the plains to California, five months being consumed
in making the trip. The journey was a long and tedious one. There
were no settlements in Nebraska, and while passing through that
Territory they were surrounded by Indians, who demanded bread
and meat, but the party being superior in numbers, and having
plenty of guns and ammunition to protect themselves, was secure
from an attack. They arrived at Downieville, Sierra Co., Cal.,
Aug. 28, 1852, and Mr. MONTGOMERY immediately went to work wheeling
dirt out of the tunnel mines, for which he received $5 per day.
He boarded himself, renting a room for which he paid $10.50 per
week and furnished his own bedding. After working in that county
for a few weeks, he went to Nevada County, where he engaged in
cutting saw-logs until the spring of 1853, when he began teaming,
following that occupation until February, 1855. While engaged
in that way he was enabled to save some money, which he loaned
for three per cent a month. He intended returning home about
that time, but as he could not get the money which he had loaned,
he was compelled to lengthen his stay in California, and engaged
to work for a short time with the man who had borrowed his money.
While in his employ, engaged in raising quartz from a shallow
shaft, he spent his idle moments in hunting for specimens. There
was a stream close by, and taking the lid from his dinner pail
he would fill it with dirt, which he afterwards washed, and at
the end of a week he had procured $1,600 worth of gold. This
he carried home and presented to his employer, outside of what
he had hauled from the mine, and after receiving the money which
he had loaned he started on his homeward journey.
- Mr. MONTGOMERY was at that time making his home in Green
County, where he resided
- until 1865, when, selling his farm, he returned to Rock County
and purchased a farm of 160 acres, situated on section 29, Porter
Township, where he yet resides. He has now a fine farm, under
a high state of cultivation, which he has secured by his industry,
economy and good management. He has been honored by his fellow
citizens with various official positions of honor and trust,
having filled most of the town offices. Since the organization
of the Republican party he has been one of its faithful adherents
and staunch supporters. In the welfare of the township and county
in which he resides he has taken a deep interest, and has been
prominent in the promotion of its social and educational advancement.
- Three children have been born of the union of Mr. and Mrs.
MONTGOMERY, two sons and a
- daughter: Frank A., who was born in Johnstown Township, Sept.
24, 1847, and wedded Mary C. O'BRIEN on the 28th day of September,
1871, has passed his entire life on his father's farm, of which
he has the management. Mrs. Frank A. MONTGOMERY died June 12,
1889. Their union has been blessed with seven children, as follows:
Owen T., Orrel E., Frank P., John H., Mary Margaret, Lydia Irene,
and one child who died in infancy. Ellen J., the second in order
of birth, was born Sept. 25, 1850, and is now the wife of J.
W. HENDRICKS, a resident farmer of the town of Porter; Luther
B., who was born Nov. 2, 1859, is still under the parental roof.
- We are pleased to present this brief sketch together with
the portrait of this honored man.
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- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 493-494; lithograph from
same book.
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- Courtesy of Carol
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