- DR. JOHN M. EVANS, a leading physician of Evansville, and
proprietor of the "Pioneer Drug
- Store," is one of the well known pioneers of Rock County.
He is a native of the Green Mountain State, having been born
in Rutland County on the 12th day of February, 1819, and is descended
from old New England stock. His father was Calvin R. EVANS and
his grandfather Gilbert EVANS. The Doctor's maternal ancestors
were also early settlers of New England and his mother's maiden
name was Penelope GOODRICH. She was a daughter of Allen GOODRICH
who was born in Massachusetts, but located in Vermont, during
the early days of that State.
- When our subject was a young lad his mother died, and he
went to live in the family of his grand-
- father GOODRICH, with whom he remained until nineteen years
of age. His advantages for education in his youth were such as
the common schools of Vermont afforded in those days. In 1838,
he went to La Porte, Ind., to which place his father had removed.
He had now attained to man's estate, and had his own way to make
in the world. The opportunities for young men, save in the field
of manual labor, were limited in those early days, and in casting
about for an occupation the Doctor decided to learn the trade
of carpenter and served an apprenticeship of three years. It
is not improbably that he would have followed the occupation
throughout his life had he not been compelled to turn his attention
into another channel. During his apprenticeship he contracted
a hip disease, which finally became so severe that by the advice
of his physician, he gave up all thought of pursuing his trade
of carpentering, and in 1843, became a medical student with Dr.
MEEKER as his preceptor. At about this time a medical college
had been organized in La Porte, and young EVANS became a member
of the first class at that institution and was one of its first
graduates, receiving the degree of M.D. from the college in the
spring of 1846. The La Porte Medical College continued a few
years and was then merged into the Rush Medical College of Chicago.
In April, 1846, Dr. EVANS left his Indiana home and came to what
is now Evansville. There was then no town on the site of the
present village, and the place was designated simply as "The
Grove." The buildings within the present corporate limits
consisted at that time of a frame dwelling, a log school house
and a double log cabin. A colony from La Porte and vicinity had
settled in that neighborhood, many of whom were former patients
of Dr. MEEKER, and it was by the advice of his preceptor that
our subject decided to locate in Evansville. Several years later
his father and stepmother removed from La Porte to Evansville,
where the death of the former occurred in June, 1860, while his
wife departed this life in August, 1877.
- The whole of the Doctor's professional life has been passed
in his present home, a period of more
- than forty years. When a post office was established, in
1849, it was called Evansville in his honor, and when the town
was platted, in 1855, it also received the name of Evansville.
From 1852 until 1855 he held the office of postmaster, and in
1853 was elected to the Legislature of Wisconsin and was again
a member of the General Assembly in 1873. After the breaking
out of the late war, in October, 1861, he was commissioned Surgeon
of the 13th Regular Wisconsin Infantry, and entered the field
with his regiment, continuing in active service until March,
1865, when his health failing him he resigned and returned home.
The labor and exposure attending his army experience was such
as to seriously and permanently impair his health.
- On the 1st day of June, 1854, in La Porte, Ind., Dr. EVANS
was united in marriage with Miss
- Emma CLEMENT, who is a native of New York, but removed with
her parents, Richard and Chloe CLEMENT, to Indiana, when she
was a child. The union of the Doctor and his wife has been blessed
with three children, two of whom are living, a son and a daughter.
The latter, Elizabeth Emma, was born April 7, 1855, and the former,
John M., was born Nov. 14, 1858. He was educated in the public
schools of Evansville, read medicine with his father and graduated
from the Rush Medical College of Chicago, after which he engaged
in practice at Evansville for three years. In August, 1888, he
went to Europe to complete his medical studies at the famous
school at Vienna, Austria, one of the most noted medical institutions
in the world. Dr. EVANS, Jr., is a young man of much ability
and gives promise of eminence in his profession. The deceased
child, Annie Penelope, who was second in order of birth, was
born Sept. 22, 1856, and died Aug. 26, 1858.
- Dr. EVANS is one of the oldest and most zealous Masons in
this part of the State, and has been
- prominently identified with the order for nearly half a century.
He was initiated into the mysteries of that ancient and honorable
society March 29, 1841, at La Porte, Ind., becoming a member
of La Porte Lodge, No. 41, A.F. & A.M. He became a member
of Janesville chapter, No. 5, April 17, 1851, and joined Janesville
Commandery, No. 2, Jan. 28, 1857. On the 24th day of October,
1882, he became a member of H.A.S.V., Orient of Wisconsin, Valley
of Milwaukee, and on the 27th of the same month was advanced
to the 32d degree of that body. He has also been inducted as
an honorary member into the "Oriental Order of the Palm
and Shell," an honor that has been conferred upon but few
Masons in the State. During these many years he has filled various
official positions in that order. He was W.M. of Union Lodge,
No. 32, for twelve consecutive years, and was High Priest of
Evansville Chapter, No. 35, during the first six years of its
existence. In 1882-3 he was Grand High Priest of the State.
- The Doctor is a member of the Episcopal Church at Evansville
and has held the office of Senior
- Warden of that body since its organization. In the formation
of the parish he was quite active, and has ever been active and
influential in this body, contributing largely of his means to
its support. For several years he has been a lay reader in the
church.
- Dr. EVANS bears the distinction of being not only the earliest
physician of Evansville, but one of
- the earliest of Rock County. He has been identified with
the county for forty-three years, has witnessed its growth and
development and has borne a prominent part in the advancement
that has been made during that long period of time. His long
and successful career as a physician has given him a wide acquaintance
and his characteristic sympathy and kindness has endeared him
to the hearts of the people. Few men enjoy the confidence and
esteem of the community in which they reside to a greater degree
than does Dr. J. M. EVANS.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 807-808.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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