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- NOAH NEWELL, deceased, was the son of Capt. Elisha
- NEWELL, and Rebecca Gerry NEWELL, both of English descent.
Capt. Elisha NEWELL fought in the Revolutionary War. He died
in October, 1832, leaving three sons and three daughters. Of
these children, the subject of this sketch was the youngest.
Noah NEWELL was born July 6, 1799, at Bradford, Vt., and his
early life was spent on a Vermont farm. In Nov. 1828, he married
Elizabeth, daughter of Andrew PEABODY, of Mass. Andrew PEABODY
was a cousin of George PEABODY the philanthropist. After marriage
he continued to live on the home farm until 1831, when in company
with his brother-in-law, Isaac CORLISS, he made an extended prospecting
tour through what was then the "far west." With the
exception of a passage from Albany to Buffalo on a canal boat,
this entire tour was strictly a pedestrian one. From Vermont
they went through New York, around
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- the lakes to Detroit - where at that time there were only
about a dozen houses, and scarcely anyone who could speak English
- and from Detroit to Logansport, Ind. The State of Indiana was
then pretty thoroughly walked over, after which they returned
to Vermont, taking passage on a steamboat from Detroit to Buffalo.
With the exceptions mentioned, this entire tour was made on foot,
without guide, and with very small opportunity of obtaining information,
at a time when all the country west of New York was almost a
wilderness. They followed Indian trails, often meeting whole
tribes of savages in all their war-paint. They forded streams
and camped out whenever night overtook them, sometimes traveling
fifty miles between sunrise and sunset, to get from the cabin
of one squatter to that of the next.
- The western country realized the wildest dreams of these
Vermont farmers, and in the spring of
- 1833 they removed with their families to La Porte, Ind. Mr.
NEWELL here went into mercantile business, keeping - according
to the then custom - a miscellaneous assortment of everything
that anybody was likely to want, from a pound of nails to a silk
gown. In 1836 he went on an inspecting tour through Wisconsin,
and eighteen months thereafter removed his family to Rock County,
where they remained one year, the period required by law to secure
the land purchased from Government. He bought 1200 acres at $1.25
per acre. At the close of that year he returned to Indiana, where
he remained until 1846, when he removed to his lands on Rock
Prairie. Here he engaged in extensive grain and stock farming,
at the same time continuing his mercantile business.
- In 1855 he made a trip to Kansas. This was at a period, as
will be remembered, when "border
- ruffians" was most rampant and dangerous, and political
excitement ran fearfully high. The steamboat was received at
the landing at Leavenworth by a military company, with glittering
bayonets, and on reaching the hotel after numerous difficulties,
he was ushered into his room, which he found to contain four
beds in the four corners and a table in the center, upon which
was laid out an array of sharpshooters, revolvers and bowie knives,
for self-defense in case of an attack. Through some mistake he
had got into the secret conclave where the destruction of Lawrence
was being planned.
- About this time he purchased 1680 acres of land in Dunn County,
Wis. In 1858 he removed to
- Janesville, and retired from active business. In the winter
following he traveled through the Southern States and to the
West Indies. He continued to reside in Janesville until his death
in February, 1880.
- He was distinguished for untiring energy and remarkable honesty.
It was ever his pride that the
- trite saying was in his case literally true, and among business
men, "his word was as good as his bond." He left a
widow who survived him but three years, and three daughters.
The eldest married Dr. Theodore TREAT. She died while on a visit
to Tokyo, Japan, in 1886. She left two children - Theodore N.
TREAT, who is at present a resident of Dakota, and Mrs. BLACKLEDGE
of California. The two remaining daughters are living, one in
Chicago, the wife of Dr. Reeves JACKSON, President of the College
of Physicians and Surgeons in that city; the other, the widow
of the late B. G. WEBSTER, is residing in Janesville. She has
one son, Frank Newell WEBSTER, who is in business in Janesville.
Sketches of the late Mr. WEBSTER and his son will be found in
this work. See portrait of Mr. NEWELL on another page.
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-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 563-564; lithograph from
same book.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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