- JOHN E. HOUSTON. No history of Rock county would be complete
without a mention of Mr.
- John E. HOUSTON, who is one of the oldest residents of the
city of Beloit.
- He is descended from Rev. John HOUSTON, who was born in Londonderry,
N.H., in 1723,
- graduated from Princeton college, New Jersey, in 1753, ordained
to the ministry September 28, 1757, and pastor of the church
at Bedford, N.H., from 1756 to 1778. This John married Anna PEEBLES
and they had three sons and two daughters. Although the father
was a loyalist, his oldest son, Samuel, served in the Revolutionary
war.
- There was a John HOUSTON, an elder in the church at Bedford
in 1803. Among the names of
- subscribers to build a meeting house in Bedford, April 19,
1831, is that of John P. HOUSTON, apparently his son, who was
captain of the Bedford grenadiers in 1832. In 1829 he had built
a bridge and made that his business. In 1837 this Captain John
P. HOUSTON came to Beloit and was followed the next year by his
wife and their infant son, then one year old, the John E. HOUSTON
of this sketch. The father, John P. HOUSTON, framed the GOODHUE
flouring mill, built on the race just west of the Caleb BLODGETT
saw mill. That grist mill was afterwards bought and carried on
by John's brother George as the HOUSTON mill. That was "the
old red mill" and stood directly across the street south
from the old RUSSELL residence, now 317 South Bridge street.
J. P. HOUSTON also helped frame our first wagon bridge, a trestle
structure placed where the central bridge now stands; he framed
the first bridge over Turtle creek and also the railroad bridge
(Northwestern) over Rock river, completed December 22, 1854,
and in both cases was publicly commended for the thoroughness
of his work.
- After completing his studies at the Beloit academy John E.
HOUSTON successfully taught a
- district school, east of Beloit, for several winters. Engaging
first in the business of bridge building, he later was occupied
with his brother in the milling business. Finally in 1873 he
established himself in the furniture and undertaking business
in Beloit, which was continued until 1898, when he closed out
the furniture department and has since confined himself to his
specialty as the city's oldest undertaker.
- Since the year 1881 he has been an elder in the First Presbyterian
church of Beloit, continuously
- reelected and still in active service
- On January 2, 1861, John E. HOUSTON married Miss Mary F.
BURR, an estimable young lady
- of Concord, Ohio, who is still at his side as a faithful
life companion. Of their two children (daughters), one, Mrs.
HILL, has supplied him with three charming grandchildren.
- Like other successful business men Mr. HOUSTON has a hobby.
In his case it is a large farm,
- three miles east of Beloit, where a comfortable country home
offers a change from the city residence. There he keeps fine
stock in which he takes pride and this farm hobby not only gives
him enjoyment, but also keeps him young and active.
-
- Taken from "Rock County, Wisconsin, Vol. II"
by William Fiske Brown, (c)1908, pp. 798-799.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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