- JOHN W. CARPENTER has been a resident of the city of Janesville,
Rock County, for many
- years, and in that time he has won a standing in business
circles, and as an intelligent and progressive citizen, of which
any man might be proud. He has met all his business engagements
promptly, and his word has ever been beyond question. He has
built up a good trade in the coal and wood line, and those who
have dealt with him longest are the best friends he has in the
city.
- Mr. CARPENTER was born at Northville, Fulton Co., N.Y., Feb.
9, 1839, a son of Allen D.
- and Mary Ann (WADSWORTH) CARPENTER, both also natives of
Fulton County. Children as follows were born to them: John W.;
Laura, wife of Nathaniel BALLARD, of Evansville, Wis.; William
H., of Evansville; Mary Ann, Mrs. McKINNEY, of Evansville; Josiah,
of Union township, Rock County; and Emma, wife of Edwin WINTERS,
of Evansville. The father was originally a cabinet maker, but
became a carpenter and joiner. In 1855 he came to Wisconsin
and settled on an eighty-acre farm in Union township, Rock County.
After a time he acquired as much more land, and gave his attention
to the improvement and cultivation of what speedily became a
choice and valuable farm. He died on that place Jan. 21, 1861,
aged about forty-six years. His wife survived him until 1894,
and was past seventy-six years of age at her death. Joseph CARPENTER,
the grandfather of John W., was a native of Vermont, and was
a carpenter and joiner by occupation. He was the father of a
numerous family. He died in New York when over sixty years of
age. Josiah WADSWORTH, the father of Mrs. Mary A. CARPENTER,
was born on Long Island and was one of the earliest settlers
of Fulton County, N.Y., where he reared his family of fifteen
children. When he died he was well on toward eighty years of
age.
- John W. CARPENTER was reared on a farm, and received his
elementary schooling in the district
- school at Hope Center, N.Y. He was sixteen years old when
he came West with his parents, and his home has been in Rock
County ever since. For the past twenty-five years he has lived
in Janesville. On reaching manhood he started out for himself
as a farmer, renting land the first two years. He bought a farm
of 183 acres in the town of Union, which he brought to a high
state of cultivation, and then sold. He bought another farm,
consisting of 280 acres, and made very substantial improvements
on this tract, which he converted into a desirable home, dwelling
there some time. Some twenty-five years ago, renting the farm,
Mr. CARPENTER moved into Janesville to engage in the wood and
coal business. He retained the ownership of the farm until a
few years ago, when he thought it wise to enlarge his business
in the city. Our subject is a Republican, and was a supervisor
of Center township some two or three terms.
- Mr. CARPENTER and Miss Sarah Jane PARKER, daughter of Isaac
and Maria (SOPER)
- PARKER, were married March 20, 1861, and they have had three
children, Jessie, Charles and Lulu. Jessie married David CREIGHTON,
and has her home in Whitewater; they have one child, Catherine.
Charles married Huldah BALKE, and resides in Janesville; he
is a brakeman on the railroad. Lulu, formerly a teacher in the
Janesville public schools, married James WADDLE.
-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin"
(c)1901, pp. 799-800.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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