- WILLIAM LATTA, a practical and progressive farmer, residing
on section 4, Clinton township,
- is a native of the Empire State, having been born in Niagara
County, Jun 26, 1843. He is a son of Benjamin and Deborah (STEVENS)
LATTA, who emigrated to Rock County, Wis., in about the year
1845 and were numbered among its highly esteemed citizens. The
family has always been one of the highest respectability, its
members being useful and honored citizens.
- Since his third year, our subject has spent the greater part
of his life in this county. He began his
- education in the school taught by Miss PLATT in a private
house and afterward attended the district school. On arriving
at a sufficient age he assisted his father in the development
of the farm and has followed agriculture pursuits during the
greater part of his life. As soon as he had attained his majority
he enlisted in the service of his county, on the 13th day of
May, 1864, as a member of the 40th Regiment of Wisconsin Volunteers,
was assigned to Company B and was mustered in at Madison, where
he remained two weeks, when the regiment was ordered to Washington,
but while making the trip to that city, a telegram was received
with orders to proceed to Memphis. It was there doing guard
duty when Forest made a raid against the city at which time Mr.
LATTA was lying sick in the hospital, which was surrounded by
Rebel troops. At the close of the term of his enlistment, Sept.
21, 1864, he was mustered out at Madison.
- After his return from the army, he attended Bryant &
Stratton's Business College at Milwaukee
- during the winter, and in the spring of 1865, worked on the
farm. He then went to Chicago, where he again attended college,
and spent the winter of 1865-6 in Detroit, Mich., engaged as
a clerk in a coal office. He then spent the time in Clinton
until the winter of 1867, when he went to Sharon, Penn., where
he was employed as salesman in a general store until the spring
of 1868 when he returned to Rock County, where he has since made
his home.
- In the autumn of 1869, a marriage ceremony performed in Darien,
Wis., united the destinies of
- William LATTA and Miss Emma SCHUTT, a native of Sturgis,
Mich., and a daughter of Minard and Catherine E. (GILETTE) SCHUTT,
both of whom were natives of New York. The former died Sept.
17, 1851. The latter is yet living, and now resides at Los Angeles,
Cal. By their union have been born eight children, five sons
and three daughters - Arthur W., Bennie, Homer, Elmer, Eddie,
Fred, Nina and Annie.
- Mr. LATTA is a Republican and a warm supporter of the principles
of that party. He has never
- sought or desired public preferment, but has served his fellow-citizens
for two terms in the county as Supervisor. Socially, he is a
member of the G.A.R. Post of Clinton. He is now engaged in general
farming and owns ninety acres of fine prairie land, which he
has placed under a high state of cultivation. For almost forty-five
years, he has been a resident of Rock County and is numbered
among her honored pioneers. Mr. LATTA shared in the trials and
hardships which are everywhere incident to pioneer life, for
his parents were among the first to locate in the town of Clinton.
He can remember when one could ride in almost any direction
with no fence or house to obstruct his progress, and when there
was but one cabin between Clinton and Janesville. It was great
work which has transformed the once wild and unsettled prairie,
into one of the finest counties in Wisconsin, he has nobly born
his part and has greatly assisted in the advancement of any enterprise
for the public welfare.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 820-821.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
|