- JOSIAH ARNOLD, son of Sylvester ARNOLD, was born in the town
of Washington, Berkshire
- Co., Mass., Nov. 1, 1820; moved to Stockbridge, Mass., with
his parents in 1824; his father died in that place Oct. 18, 1845;
removed to Canaan, Columbia Co., N.Y., and resided there ten
years; he lived afterwards for various periods in New York City,
Stockbridge, Washington, Mass., Maryland, Virginia, and Hamilton,
Madison Co., N.Y.; taught school in the latter place until he
came west in the spring of 1843 he located first at Stoughton,
but moved to Janesville in the fall of 1843, where he remained
two or three years, teaching the first public school; in the
spring of 1844, after the close of his school, he clerked for
one year in Janesville; commenced general mercantile business
in spring of 1845 with Daniel E. BASSETT; they started a branch
store at Columbus, in the fall of 1845, closing out the business
at Janesville in the spring of 1846; continued in business at
Columbus until 1847 with BASSETT; then one year alone in trade;
Mr. A. was appointed Clerk of Circuit Court in 1848, and elected
to same position in the fall of same year; in 1850, elected Register
of Deeds; held the office two years; came to Portage in 1851,
where he has since resided (except during a few years at Germantown),
and engaged in the hardware business with J. B. FARGO, from 1853
to 1857; continued in that business alone until 1861; then engaged
in the lumber business, operating a large mill at Germantown,
Juneau Co., Wis.; also associated with CARNAGIE & PRESCOTT
in a lumber yard and planing mill at Portage; Mr. A. owns pine
lands in Wood, Marathon and Clark Cos. Mr. A. was married in
the town of Fulton, Rock Co., Wis., Dec. 20, 1846, to Mary Jane
TRUE, born in Perry, Wyoming Co, N.Y. They have five children
- Charles J., born Oct. 24, 1847; William S., born Aug. 10, 1850;
Samuel E., born Nov. 9, 1854; Harry E., born Feb. 1, 1859; Fred
D., born March 23, 1864. Mr. A. was Postmaster at Columbus for
two years; Alderman of Portage in 1854, 1855 and 1856; in the
spring of 1877, elected Mayor, and is now serving his third year;
in 1877, elected Assemblyman. He is a member of the A.F. &
A.M. Lodge No. 23, Chapter 14, and Commandery No. 4 Mr. A.'s
grandfather, Timothy ARNOLD, served in the Revolutionary War.
-
- Taken from "The History of Columbia County, Wisconsin,
1880" (c)1880 Western Historical Company, p. 876.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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