- ARCHIBALD WOODARD, deceased, was numbered among the honored
pioneers of this
- county, and for many years was one of its prominent and influential
citizens. He was born in Washington County, N.Y., April 29,
1818, and there grew to manhood. Thinking that the West furnished
better opportunities for young men than were afforded by the
older States of the East, in 1838 he made a trip to Wisconsin
with the intention of selecting a location. At that time, however,
he returned without deciding where to make his home.
- In 1842 Mr. WOODARD was united in marriage with Miss Mary
HERRON, their wedding
- being celebrated in Washington County, where her birth occurred
on the 6th of March, 1820. The young couple began their domestic
life in the Empire State, but after two years, in 1844, came
to Rock County to make for themselves a home and settled in Bradford
Township, where Mr. WOODARD purchased 160 acres of land and built
a house. He at once began the cultivation and improvement of
his farm, upon which he resided until 1850, when he removed to
the adjoining county of Walworth, owning at one time 2,200 acres
of land. The prosperity that follows methodical business habits,
combined with energy of purpose, attended Mr. WOODARD and his
family without interruption after the first obstacles and difficulties
incident to frontier life had been overcome. By virtue of a
strong mind and thorough training in early life he became and
was everywhere recognized as an accurate businessman, and in
complicated matters his advice was often south.
- In politics he was a Whig until the dissolution of that party,
after which he generally acted with the
- Republican party until 1884, when he cast his vote for St.
John, the Prohibition candidate. He never sough official honors
in any way, but steadily refused all offers of political preferment,
content with being a free American citizen. He possessed strong
moral sentiments, was upright and honorable in the highest degree
and always followed the dictates of his conscience. He and his
wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. WOODARD
died May 11, 1885, leaving a wife and one son to mourn their
loss.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 450-451.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
|