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William Farnsworth - married Queen Marinette

Picture
George Farnsworth, son of William and Marinette
William Farnsworth was born in Vermont of American parentage, Sept. 26 1796. He went to Montreal at an early age and entered the service of the American Fur Company on April 13, 1818. He was a hired for 5 years at $220 a year.(1) He lasted for three months. In that time he traveled from Michilimackinac to St. Louis. The route was down the Fox-Wisconsin and returned the Illinois- Desplaines-Chicago route.(2) Farnsworth stopped by Sheboygan in July 1818 and return to set up a trading post 3 miles up the Sheboygan River in 1820. He was home based in Michilimackinac. He is the founder of the city of Sheboygan.(3) Farnsworth's adventures struggling to compete with the rival American Fur Company as a independent trader are extensively documented.(4)

William also set up a trading post on the north side mouth of the Menominee River. This was his base of operation in 1822. In 1824 he usurped Stanislau Chappee's American Fur Company post on the south side and forced Chappee up the river.

Farnsworth partnered with Charles R. Brush and built the first dam and sawmill on the Menominee in 1831-32.

He owned Two sailing vessels on Lake Michigan, the Jefferson and the Traveler. He was an owner in a Green Bay mercantile company Brush, Rees & Co.

He was a land speculator, a promoter of the orginal town site of Sheboygan, a proprietor of the store and warehouse of C.D. Cole & Co. and owner of the North Pier Co., a commision and forwarding agent and active in public affairs.

He established a sawmill on the Sheboygan River.

He lost his life in the ill-fated steamer accident on Lake Michigan. The Lady Elgin was rammed Sept. 8, 1860 off Point Winnetka, 16 miles north of Chicago by the schooner Augusta. (5)

1. Roster of Employees of the American Fur Company for Years 1818 to 1819. Wis. Hist. Coll. xii,160

2. Gen. William R. Smith's History of Wisconsin

3.Sketch of William Farnsworth, by Margan L. Martin, Wis. Hist. Collection. ix, 397.

4. Recollections of Wisconsin, by Col.Ebenezer Childs, Wis. Hist. Coll. iv, 156 and xx, 345, 358. Also Early History and Condition of Wisconsin, by Henry S. Baird, Wis. Hist. Coll. ii, 84 and xx, 345.

5. Sheboygan County History, 69-77.

Tickler (Tiggelaar) -Alma's father's family

"I've found more info on the Ticklers. Almas, father Henry came over in 1855 when he was 2 years old. Henry's father's name was Hendricus Tiggelaar and the grandfather's name was Albertus. they came from Gelderland, the province in Holland that Erik grew up in! I have made copies of the ships manifests list and census lists on which all these Tiggelaar>Ticklers appear and will mail them to you." Sarah van Rens 5-2-97

The following is from an Article on page 274 of the History of Brown County, Wisconsin: Past and Present (Martin Vol. II). Peter L. was Alma's Uncle. Herman worked at Brown & Tickler hardware store. Ed Van Rens is Alma's and Herman's son.

Peter L. Tickler -"Prominent among the enterprising, progressive and successful business men of Green Bay is numbered Peter L. Tickler, proprietor of a well equipped hardware store. He was born in this city in 1860, a son of Henry and Ida(Thomas) Tickler. His parents were married in Amsterdam, Holland, and in 1851 came to the United States with their two children, Albert and Henry(See Sarah's note above). They made their way direct to Green Bay and the father secured employment in the old Astor planing mill, the only establishment of it's kind in the city at the time. He afterwards followed the carpenter's and builder's trade working for Morgan L. Martin and many of the pioneers. He erected many residences and business blocks and thus became closely associated with the substantial improvement of the city. After the arrival of the family in Green Bay eight children were added to the household, making a family of five sons and five daughters as follows: Albert, a resident of Green Bay; Henry, who makes his home in New Orleans; Mary, living in Green Bay; Peter L.; Annie, wife of Joseph Farnsworth of Green Bay; Theodore, of this city who is a traveling salesman for Weiss and Holman; Ida, wife of William Van Oss, of Green Bay; Rose, who died when forty-two years of age; Lewis, residing in Missoula, Montana; and Josephine, wife of Edward Dolan, a resident of Missoula, now serving as a state senator of Montana. The parents have both passed away, the mother having died in 1877 ant the age of 52 years, while the father departed this life in 1905 at the age of seventy five.

Peter L. Tickler was educated in the public schools of this city, pursing his course in the consecutive grades until he entered the high school. He started in the business world as an employee of L.G. Schellers and later was connected with the Wisconsin Bridge Company. He worked in a planing mill for some time, but desirous to engage in business on his own account wisely utilized his opportunities and in 1891 joined S.A. Brown in opening a tin shop under the name of Brown & Tickler. Later the extended the scope of their business to include a stock of general hardware and the partner relations between them maintained until January 1, 1912, when Mr. Brown retired and Mr. Tickler became sole proprietor. He now enjoys an extensive trade, his business being one of growing proportions owning to his enterprising methods, his reasonable prices and earnest desire to please his patrons."
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