- THE SPENCER BROTHERS were among the first pioneers of Rock
County, and have borne
- a prominent part in her development. There were five brothers
who located in the town of Union, Henry G. being the first to
become a resident. He was the fourth in order of birth of a
family of seven sons, all of whom emigrated to Rock County during
the pioneer days, while five made permanent settlements. They
were all born in Springfield, Vt., and their parents were John
and Lydia (FLETCHER) SPENCER. The grandfather was Simeon SPENCER,
an early settler of the town of Springfield, and he reared a
family of twelve children. His death occured in Springfield.
The FLETCHERs, the maternal ancestry of the SPENCER family,
were also numbered among the early settlers of New England.
- John SPENCER, the father, was born on the 19th day of March,
1782, and was united in
- marriage March 27, 1805, with Miss Lydia FLETCHER. There
union was blessed with seven sons, but no daughters were born
unto them. James A., the third in order of birth, who was born
in 1810, died in 1825; Peter F., the eldest of the family, was
born March 12, 1807; John H. (the second), Nov. 13, 1808; Henry
G., Aug. 25, 1812; Hiram C., Aug. 27, 1817; Lewis G., Jan. 20,
1820; and George F. on the 17th day of August, 1822.
- The first of the brothers to come to Rock County was Henry
G., who settled on Rock Prairie in
- 1837. He was followed by Lewis G., who located at Evansville
in 1845, and the 23d day of May, 1848, witnessed the arrival
of George F. in Rock County. Hiram C. was numbered among the
residents who settled in the county in the fall of 1848, and
Peter F., the last of the family who made a permanent settlement
in Rock County, dates his residence from 1854. John H., another
brother, came to the county in 1850, but after remaining six
months removed to Fond du Lac, where he resided for many years,
when he removed to Minneapolis, Minn. John SPENCER and his wife,
the parents of the six brothers, came to Rock County in 1849,
settling in Evansville, making their home in the second frame
house on the site of the village. It was built by Dr. J. M.
EVANS. A year had not yet passed when the mother was called
to her final rest, her death occuring on the 17th day of June,
1850. The father survived until Feb. 7, 1865, when he too departed
this life.
- The family circle of six brothers remained unbroken until
March 6, 1889, when Henry G. passed
- away. Previous to his decease no death had occured in the
family of children for the long period of sixty-four years.
Four of the brothers are still residents of Evansville, namely,
Peter F., Hiram C., Lewis G. and George F. The SPENCER brothers
are well-known citizens of Rock County, where they have so long
resided, and are highly respected by all who know them.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, p. 556.
-
- Courtesy of Jan
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