- ALFRED C. FISH, one of Rock County's honored pioneers, now
residing on section 22, Union
- Township, is a native of Connecticut, and was born in New
London County, on the 10th day of May, 1816. The FISH family
was founded in America during the early colonial days, the original
ancestors settling in Connecticut, where their descendants are
still numerous. They have also scattered through various State
of the Union, and especially in Ohio are many representatives
of the family still residing. The family have been chiefly engaged
in agricultural pursuits for many generations.
- Daniel FISH, the father of our subject, was reared to manhood
in Connecticut, and there married
- Matilda CHESTER, also a native of that State. With his brother
Moses, accompanied by their families, he emigrated to Ohio in
the year 1818, locating on what was then called New Connecticut,
or the Western Reserve, his brother Ebenezer having previously
settled there. The three brothers all located and continued to
reside on the land they first purchased, until death. Daniel
FISH departed this life in 1880, at the age of eighty-three years,
his wife dying three years previous. They were the parents of
nine children, eight of whom grew to mature years, though but
three are now living. The subject of this sketch was the oldest
of the family, and the other members who yet survive are Leonard
and Ebenezer, who own and occupy the old homestead in Ohio.
- Alfred C. FISH was reared to manhood upon the Ohio frontier,
his parents having removed to
- that State when he was but two years of age. The present
great and important city of Cleveland was then but a trading
post, containing no buildings save a few log houses. After attaining
to mature years, Mr. FISH engaged in farming and lumbering in
the Buckeye State, continuing there to make his home until the
fall of 1842, when he came to Rock County and selected a claim,
remaining in this community during the winter. In the spring
of 1843 he went to Milwaukee and entered the land which he had
selected, and later returned to Ohio.
- In May, 1845, while visiting at his old home, he led to the
marriage altar Miss Phoebe
- BRAINARD, who was born in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, on the 19th
day of April, 1821, and is a daughter of Demas and Nancy BRAINARD,
both of whom were natives of Connecticut. In the spring of 1848,
accompanied by his wife, he returned to Rock County, settling
on the land which he had entered five years previous, and where
he has made his home continuously since, his farm lying on sections
22 and 27, Union Township. Mr. and Mrs. FISH have been the parents
of three children, two sons and a daughter, but only the daughter
is now living. Their eldest son, Marcus H., who was born March
11, 1846, enlisted in his country's service, and became a member
of a battery of Illinois light artillery. The last year of the
war he served under the command of A. J. Smith. The long marches,
the forced exposure and the trials incident to army life led
to the development of pulmonary trouble, which resulted in his
death. He died at the home of his parents on the 30th day of
August, 1884, having lingered for years after the war. Although
his health was poor, he was for some time manager of a store
in Evansville, and was also employed as clerk in the post-office
for a period of four years. He was but eighteen years of age
when he entered his country's service, and was a most exemplary
young man. He was a gallant soldier, ever faithful to his duty,
and scarified his life upon the altar of freedom. The death of
their only son was an irreparable loss to the parents. He died
at the age of thirty-seven years. As before stated, he belonged
to the command of A. J. Smith, and with his regiment served in
many important expeditions. On the failure of his health he was
sent to the hospital at Vicksburg, where he partially recovered,
and was then employed as nurse. At the close of the war he was
sent to St. Louis, where he was to be discharged, but the vessel
on which he had embarked collided with another steamer and was
sunk. He had a narrow escape, and had it not been that he was
an expert swimmer he would have lost his life, as did many others
on that ill-fated vessel. The second child of Mr. and Mrs. FISH
was Gilbert M., who was born in 1847 and died at the age of seventeen
years. Their only surviving child, Delia, is at home.
- Mr. and Mrs. FISH are numbered among the early settlers of
the town of Union, and are still
- residing on the old homestead, which the husband entered
more than forty-six years ago. In politics, Mr. FISH was reared
in the old Whig doctrines of the free-soil or anti-slavery type,
and cast his first presidential vote for Gen. William Henry Harrison,
in 1840. When the Republican party was formed, to prevent the
further extension of slavery, he joined its ranks, and has since
fought under its banner, voting for Benjamin Harrison in 1888.
He and his wife have been faithful and consistent members of
the Methodist Episcopal Church for fifty years, and have always
taken an active interest in the welfare of the community in which
they have so long resided. Mr. and Mrs. FISH have shared in the
blessings of life, and their cup of sorrow has also been full,
but they have borne all in the manner of Christians, and in their
declining years can look back over a life well spent.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 866-868.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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