- AARON F. HOLLISTER resides on section 18, Beloit Township.
Among the leading farmers
- and early settlers of Rock County will be found our subject,
who was born in Manchester, Conn., on the 26th day of April,
1823, and is a son of Pierpont and Martha (WALLACE) HOLLISTER,
who were both natives of Connecticut. The father was widely known
throughout the State as Capt. HOLLISTER, being Captain of the
State Militia. The training days, which occurred every spring
and fall, were days of great festivity to the young lads of the
neighborhood, for at that time they received a general holiday.
Capt. HOLLISTER also served his county as Sheriff, providing
and efficient and faithful officer. His occupation was that of
farming, which he followed throughout his entire life. On the
22nd day of July, 1810, he wedded Miss Martha WALLACE, a daughter
of William WALLACE, Jr., and to them were born eleven children,
five of whom are yet living - Eleanor D., born Dec. 14, 1811;
William WALLACE, now a retired farmer of Manchester, Conn.; Horace
W. died in 1833; Martha M departed this life the same year; Christopher
Columbus is now living in Arkansas City, Kan.; Aaron Francis,
of this sketch, is next in order of birth; George W. makes his
home in Cresco, Iowa; Grove; Pierpont, Jr., died in 1831; Asenath
S. died in 1837; Mary A. is the wife of Joseph C. TRUMAN, and
resides in Rockton, Ill. The death of the father occurred in
his native State, Nov. 25, 1835, and the mother who was a devoted
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, departed this life
March 27, 1835. He was a Jacksonian Democrat, yet liberal in
his views, and was a man of prominence and influence in the community
where he resided. Josiah HOLLISTER, the grandfather of our subject,
served under Gen. Washington in the Revolution, and often entertained
his descendants with anecdotes of his commander. John HOLLISTER,
the founder of this HOLLISTER family in this country, emigrated
from England to America about 1642.
- Our subject was educated in the schools of Manchester, Conn.
Being left an orphan at the age of
- twelve years, he then went to the home of an uncle, in whose
family he continued to reside for the four succeeding years,
when he began working as a farm hand during the summer months.
During the winter he still continued to attend the public schools
for some time. Until 1845 he remained in his native county, when
desiring to make his home in the West, he came to Rock County.
From the meager earnings which he received for farm labor he
had saved a sufficient amount to purchase land, and entered a
claim of 160 acres, which was then in a wild and unimproved state.
His plow turned the first furrow on that prairie, and his hand
performed the work of transformation by which it became one of
the fine farms in the county. For some time he made his home
in the family of a Mr. WINSLOW, and later built the first house
which he owned in Rock County, it being a small frame building,
whose dimensions were 12x16 feet.
- On the 3d day of January, 1854, Mr. HOLLISTER was united
in marriage with Miss Sarah
- SMILEY, native of Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Samuel
and Susanna (FISHER) SMILEY. She came with her parents to Rock
County in 1845, the family locating in Plymouth Township, where
the death of both father and mother occurred. Mr. and Mrs. HOLLISTER
are the parents of six children - Eleanor M., born Jan. 27, 1855,
who became the wife of Russell BROUGHTON, a farmer of Magnolia
Township; Francis S., born July 19, 1856, who is at home; William
H., born Jan. 3, 1858, and who wedded Emma HODGE, Nov. 1, 1883,
has devoted his life to the missionary cause and is now preaching
the gospel to the people of India, to which country he was sent
by the Methodist Episcopal Church in December, 1887; Violetta
M., born May 19, 1860, wife of John E. CRAVEN, a railroad engineer
residing at Waseca, Minn.; Mary S., born Sept. 22, 1863, became
the wife of F. W. CRAVEN, died in 1886; and Joseph Aaron, born
Jan. 1, 1870, who is attending school.
- As the years have passed, Mr. HOLLISTER has added to his
original purchase, until now 265
- broad acres pay tribute to his care and cultivation. His
life has been one of industry, for since beginning his business
at the early age of sixteen, he has labored continuously, and
during most of the time has followed agricultural pursuits. He
is now the owner of one of the finest farms in Rock County, the
improvement of which is due to his own efforts; his barns and
outbuildings are models of convenience, and upon his farm may
be found a good grade of all kinds of stock, including sheep,
to the raising of which he gives considerable attention. In connection
with his farming interests for the past few years he has also
operated a dairy. For almost forty-five years he has been identified
with the history of Rock County, and has borne a prominent part
in the work of progress and development. His influence and ready
support have ever been given to any enterprise for the public
welfare, and in the advancement of educational, social and moral
interests he is found in the front rank. Since the organization
of the Republican party, he has been one of its ardent supporters,
and has been honored by his fellow-citizens with various local
offices of trust. To the liquor traffic he is a strong opponent,
working always for its suppression, and exerting his utmost power
to blot out the evil. For many years Mr. and Mrs. HOLLISTER have
been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are untiring
workers in the Master's vineyard. Mr. HOLLISTER has been very
prominently identified with the Church, having filled all the
various offices in that body, and was for many a a Class-Leader.
He was Superintendent of the Sabbath School for several years,
and was a successful teacher, and did much to promote the best
interests of that important branch of the Church. Both have borne
a prominent part in the work of the organization to teach others
to follow the example set forth in the life of Christ. Consistent
Christian people, they are honored and respected by all, and
are held in the highest regard by many warm friends throughout
the county.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 569-570, 573.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
|