- SOLOMON SPOON, for more than three score years a resident
of Rock county, Wisconsin, is
- justly counted among the representative citizens and substantial
farmers. He was born in Perry county, Pennsylvania, on August,
11, 1829, and is the fourth of eleven children born to Abraham
and Martha (EARNEST) SPOON, both natives of that state. Their
other children named in the order of their births, were Anna,
Samuel, Elizabeth, George, Conard, Abraham, Mary, John and Henry.
The youngest died in infancy unnamed. The father, a mason by
trade, in 1846 settled with his family in Plymouth township,
Rock county, making the trip around the lakes to Racine and thence
with team and wagon. He bought 120 acres of wild land, which
he improved and cultivated and where he made his home with his
family until his decease, in 1874. His wife died there. They
were both honored members of the Congregational Church.
- Our subject was seventeen years old when he came with his
parents to Rock county. He was
- reared to farm work and received a common school education.
Two years after attaining his majority, in 1852, prompted by
the spirit of the times, he went to California in quest of gold,
the trip being made overland with four yoke of oxen and occupying
four months' time. He remained there nearly five years, and
in 1857 returned by boat via Isthmus of Panama. On his return
home Mr. SPOON bought a farm in Magnolia township which he worked
some ten years, when he sold out and bought in Plymouth township.
After carrying on his farm there ten years, he again sold and
moved to Janesville township, where he engaged in farming until
1890, when he retired from farming and took up his residence
in the city of Janesville, where he now owns and occupies a beautiful
modern home.
- Throughout his busy life Mr. SPOON has prospered in his affairs,
and by his upright and honor-
- able dealings, has gained the confidence and esteem of a
wide circle of friends and acquaintances. He has always shown
a commendable interest in public affairs and when called to fill
local offices, has discharged his duties faithfully and well.
In both Magnolia and Plymouth township he served as director
of the schools. In politics he is a Republican, but has always
preferred the quiet of his home life to official position. In
religious faith he and his family are affiliated with the Congregational
church.
- In 1860 Mr. SPOON married Miss Augusta, daughter of George
and Elizabeth ROYER, who
- was born in Pennsylvania. His parents moved to Wisconsin
in the early days and passed their lives there.
- Of four children born to Mr. and Mrs. SPOON, the eldest,
Mary, is married to Mr. Peter
- NELSON, of Milwaukee; the second, Fran, married Miss Luella
BORROW, and lives in Janesville. Jennie is the wife of Mr. Frank
MARTIN, a Congregational minister at Galva, Ill., and Grace,
the youngest, lives at home and is teaching school at Janesville.
-
- Taken from "Rock County, Wisconsin, Vol. II"
by William Fiske Brown, (c)1908, pp. 901-902.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
|