- VOLNEY ATWOOD, president of the Oak Hill Cemetery Association,
is one of the substantial
- and representative men of Janesville, and has played an important
part in the material growth of his community.
- Volney ATWOOD was born in Cambridge, Vt., Feb. 28, 1812,
a son of Levi and Lucretia
- (WATERMAN) ATWOOD. The history of the paternal grandfather
of our subject is not known, but the maternal grandfather was
Aruna WATERMAN, a native of Connecticut, who in 1801 removed
to Vermont and took up a large tract of land; he died there when
over eighty years of age, the father of a large family. The father
of our subject, Levi ATWOOD, who was a farmer, died in Vermont
in 1812, when VOLNEY was not quite ten months old, and the mother
survived him many years. Mr. and Mrs. Levi ATWOOD had three sons:
Victor, Norman and Volney. Victor was a business man in St. Albans,
Vt., for sixty years, and Norman was a farmer in Cambridge, Vt.,
but both are now deceased.
- Volney ATWOOD was reared in Vermont, his mother removing
to Johnson, that State, about
- four years after her husband's death. Here our subject remained
until he was eighteen, when he returned to the farm at Cambridge,
and pursued the calling of a farmer until 1837. When opportunity
offered he attended the public schools of his neighborhood, and
made the best of his opportunities. In 1837 he came West to Wisconsin,
settling in Janesville township, Rock County, where he took up
a tract of 320 acres. After improving this land, Mr. ATWOOD sold
it, and engaged in keeping a tavern. During 1845 and 1846 he
served his county very acceptably as sheriff, and afterward engaged
in general merchandising for many years. Later, however, he embarked
in the hardware business, confining himself exclusively to this
branch of trade until 1887, when he practically retired, although
since he was made president of the Oak Hill cemetery Association
he has personally attended to all its affairs. Having always
been a loyal Republican Mr. ATWOOD has several times been called
upon to represent his community in town and county office, serving
as supervisor in the early days, when a number of the towns were
represented together; also as alderman for two years; register
of deeds one term; and as before stated, as sheriff. At one time
Mr. ATWOOD was interested in the cottonmill at Janesville, having
assisted in its organization and establishment. Another industry
which owes much of its present prosperity to his executive ability
and business acumen is the Janesville shoe factory. Mr. ATWOOD
was one of the promoters who induced the Chicago & Northwestern
railroad to come to Janesville, and although the town benefited,
his loss in the matter was considerable. There is scarcely any
line of business in Janesville which has not felt the impetus
of Mr. ATWOOD's enterprise, and among these is the coal and wood
business, in which he engaged at one time with a Mr. LAWRENCE,
under the firm name of LAWRENCE & ATWOOD, their business
being the second of its kind in that locality.
- On June 30, 1847, Mr. ATWOOD married Miss Catherine A. HOLMES,
daughter of William
- and Rachel (DAY) HOLMES, and they have had six children:
Volney, Charles, Mary Lucretia, Harriet Augusta and Helen Adelaide
(twins) and Anna E. Volney died when a little over two years
old, and the twins when eighteen months old. Charles married
Miss Alta M. DOTY, and they have had eight children: Volney D.,
Abbie A., Mary Lea, Harry C., Charles Starr, William Williston,
Leo and Edward Philo; they live in Janesville, where he is engaged
in the ice business. Mary Lucretia married Edward Vernon WHITON,
now deceased, and had four children, Edward Vernon, Lucretia,
Annet T. and Victor A. Miss Anna E. resides with her parents,
and is a very pleasant lady.
- Mrs. ATWOOD, who is the oldest resident of Janesville in
length of residence, was born in
- Newark, Licking Co., Ohio, Aug. 9, 1819, and her parents
were natives of Pennsylvania. They moved to Ohio, settling in
Marion County, where they resided twelve years; then removed
to La Porte County, Ind., and resided there until 1836. In March
of that year they went to Rock County, Wis., and settled in Rock
township, where Mr. HOLMES purchased land from the government
at $1.25 an acre, obtaining an entire section in one body, and
160 acres in another, all of which is now included in Janesville;
also sixty acres of timber land. While in Marion County, Ohio,
Mr. HOLMES was a judge of the court for a number of years, and
was known as Judge HOLMES, although engaged in farming. After
a long and useful life Mr. HOLMES died, in the spring of 1861,
aged eighty-one years. The father of Mr. HOLMES, James HOLMES,
a native of England, came to America with two brothers. Mrs.
ATWOOD's maternal grandfather was George DAY, a native of Scotland,
who lived to a ripe old age.
- Mrs. ATWOOD is a consistent member of the Episcopal Church,
and is an earnest worker in the
- several organization connected with it. Mr. ATWOOD is a member
of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and has been for fifty
years, filling every chair in the lodge. Having always been public-spirited,
he has generously contributed of his time and means toward all
improvements and still takes a warm interest in public affairs,
the advancement of the city in prosperity, the success of the
party whose principles he advocates, and the general welfare
of the community being matters of vital importance to him.
-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin"
(c) 1901, pp. 210-211.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
|