- JOHN ANTHONY YOST is well known as one of Rock county's representative
citizens and
- substantial, prosperous farmers. He is a native of Beloit
township and was born on March 12, 1848, the third of a family
of six children born to William S. and Harriet P. (SADLIERE)
YOST, both natives of New York state, where they were married.
Our subject's grandfather, William YOST, came to Wisconsin about
1835 and purchased a tract of land in sections 11 and 12, Beloit
township, there being then but two houses in the settlement.
After purchasing the land, which afterwards became the family
homestead of our subject's father, he returned to his home in
New York and there passed the remainder of his days. In 1843
our subject's father moved to Rock county and settled on the
land his father had purchased and there made his home and lived
until his retirement from active work in 1868, when he left his
farm and became a resident of Beloit, where he erected a comfortable
home. Of his six children, the eldest, Joseph, died in early
manhood, his decease being followed by that of the second child,
Matilda, about the same time. The fourth child, Frankie, was
married to Mr. W. S. HART, now deceased, and lives in Beloit;
Hattie, the fifth child, died in 1882; and William S., the youngest,
is a traveling salesman with headquarters at Chicago.
- John A. had all the experiences of the western farmer boy,
helping with the farm work and
- attending the district school. He received here a good common
school education and supplemented it with a course of study at
Beloit. He has always lived on the family homestead, devoting
himself to his chosen occupation, and is in the full sense of
the term a practical farmer. His present farm comprises 180 acres,
finely improved with good buildings and all the necessary equipments
and appliances of a model modern home, he having sold from the
original tract a number of building lots. Mr. YOST has also set
apart a tract of fifteen acres bordering on the Rock river as
a public pleasure ground, and known as YOST Park. Hither large
numbers of people from Janesville, Beloit and surrounding sections
are attracted for pleasure trips and picnics and to witness the
games of the local baseball teams as well as those of the state
league, which are now and then played there. Mr. YOST is a public-spirited
man and has taken an active part in the civic affairs, having
served in all the local offices of the township.
- On October 20, 1869, Mr. YOST married Miss Marion ROSS, daughter
of Mr. Chauncey
- ROSS, an old and highly respected citizen of Turtle township.
Of four children born to them, John C. is a resident of Beloit;
Arthur died September 29, 1897, at the age of twenty-four years;
George lives on the homestead and assists in the management of
YOST Park; and Ross D. carries on the farm.
-
- Taken from "Rock County, Wis." by William Fiske
Brown, (c)1908, pp. 974-975.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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