- CHARLES OLIVER, a well-established real-estate dealer and
tradesman of Beloit, Rock county,
- conducts a wholesale cigar business in that city, manufactures
his own goods, and has a continually increasing patronage, not
only because of the excellent grade of his goods, but also because
of his genial manner and courteous treatment of all with whom
he comes in contact.
- Mr. OLIVER was born in Beloit Feb. 23, 1859, a son of Washington
and Louisa (MAYO)
- OLIVER, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania and reared
in Ohio. The mother was born in Maine, and died in Beloit May
16, 1900. They were the parents of thirteen children, of whom
are now living: Nora; Addie; Charles; Stephen, of South Dakota;
Benjamin A., local manager of the Beloit Telephone Co.; George,
of Beloit; Laura, wife of Truman S. MORGAN, of Pittsburgh, Penn.;
Minnie, wife of E. R. NEWTON, of Beloit; and Gertrude. Washington
OLIVER, who was a carpenter and contractor, came West to Beloit
in 1847, and here he has followed his trade many years, and is
well known as an honest and reliable man. For the past ten years
he has not been actively engaged in business, the infirmities
of advancing age compelling him to relinquish many pursuits to
which he has been enthusiastically devoted all his life. He
has lived an active out-of-door life, and it is not easy for
him to give it up. In religion he is a Methodist, as was also
his wife. His father, Stephen OLIVER, was born in Pennsylvania,
of Irish parents, and was a sea captain. In middle life he left
the ocean, and went into trade as a merchant. He turned to contracting,
and when quite advanced in years became a gold miner, crossing
the plains twice to California, in 1849 and in 1852. On the
second trip he was killed by the Indians. He was a man of prominence
in the East, having held several important offices in Madison
and Cleveland, Ohio. His father consisted of eight children.
The maternal grandfather of Charles OLIVER, Jacob MAYO, was
a native of Maine, and a fisherman on the coast. He came to
Beloit when the country was very new, and lived there some years,
making numerous trips to the North, where he worked in the lumber
woods. He became a trader with the Indians and was prospering
when he met an untimely death in middle life, freezing to death
while on a trading expedition into the northern part of the State.
He had a large family. One of his sons, Alfred H. MAYO, went
to Alaska in 1872, with a partner, Jack McQUESTION, and they
have been in business there until the present time. Mr. MAYO
is now in Beloit, on a visit, and will return to Alaska in the
spring, 1901. He was one of the three men who opened up the
gold field of that country.
- Charles OLIVER was born and reared in Beloit, and that city
has always been his home. He
- attended the public schools until he was fourteen, when he
began to learn the trade of a cigar maker. For about eight years
Mr. OLIVER was a journeyman cigar maker, until he started in
business for himself, in which he has been so successful that
he now employs usually, about eleven hands, and, in case of a
"rush" has called for considerable additional help.
Our subject is also engaged in the real-estate and renting business,
buying and selling city property, renting business blocks and
dwellings, and is himself the owner of a business block in Beloit.
- The marriage of Charles OLIVER and Miss Kate FLINT was celebrated
Sept. 2, 1885 and two
- daughters were born of this union, Grace L. and Flossie May.
Mrs. OLIVER, who was a daughter of Perry and Abbie FLINT, died
March 12, 1890, and is remembered as a loving wife and a kind
and faithful mother. The family live at 783 Brook street. Mr.
OLIVER is a member of Morning Star Lodge, No. 10, A.F. &
A.M., the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Fraternal Alliance.
Politically he is a Democrat.
-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin"
(c)1901.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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