Portland
's Contributions to
Waterloo
Portland
has contributed much to the material advantage
of
Waterloo
. In
early times, K. P. Clark, Mark Leaver, S. M. Cone, Drs. Millington, Lamb and
Davis, and many others shifted their residence to
Waterloo
and became prominent citizens.
At present, one finds the former
Portland
people everywhere.
C. Failinger learned his mercantile trade in the store of S. M. Cone
while he was earning his board attending the
Portland
school. H.
P. Whipple, whose knowledge and skill in caring for sick animals and training
horses are known to all farmers in this vicinity, is the son of Alphonse
Whipple, who for many years was a successful farmer and a prominent citizen in
the civic life of
Portland
.
The Waterloo Democrat has an editor because H. A. Whipple was born in
Portland
. He
too was a leading
Wisconsin
educator and served for ten years as
Superintendent of Schools at Whitewater and Baraboo.
Besides being the editor of the Democrat, Mr. Whipple is the
Wisconsin
and
Michigan
representative of Houghton Mifflin Company of
Boston
, one of the leading publishers of text books and
high grade trade books.
August Hoffman, who is now the manager of the C. Haese Co's. Store, is a
credit to his native town,
Portland
. Phillip
Fuchs, who for many years represented
Portland
at
Juneau
, furnished
Waterloo
both Gustav and Emil Fox.
No man is better known in thie community for his sterling qualities than
Gustav Fox. He has represented the
Village
of
Waterloo
on the
County
Board
for several years.
James Harger's family came from
Portland
where his father, J. H. Harger and his uncle
Peter Harger were worthy citizens for a long time.
"Jim" Harger, as he is known
to the people of Waterloo, has grown
up in the lumber business and is now manager of local yards of the Wilbur
Lumber Company and one of their most valued and efficient representatives.
Jacob Daum, a leading building contractor of this vicinity, is a son of
Phillip Daum of the
Watertown Plank Road
. Henry
Hyer's father was one of the first officers of
Portland
. Charles
Baker acquired a competency in
Portland
before making
Waterloo
his home.
L. P. Knowlton's son Ezra started the first bank in the village and his
brother Jerry D. is the secretary of the local Northwestern Farmers Mutual Hail
and Cyclone Insurance Co. John
Leaver is the son of Mark Leaver, who in the 50's was a wagon maker at
Portland
and the T. S. Hayhurst family were all natives
of that place. W. S. Hayhurst is the
St. Louis
manager for Parke, Davis & Company, the
largest drug firm in the
United States
. E.
T. Hayhurst is the
Chicago
representative of the Galland-Henning Company.
Frank Griffin, too, first saw light in
Portland
. His
father, Patrick Griffin, represented his district in the Wisconsin Legislature
while a resident there.
W. N. White was for several years proprietor of the Old Family Drug Store
and is now President of the village because he came from
Portland
where his father resided many years.
Likewise, the Whipple family furnished a second druggist for
Waterloo
in the person of Edward Whipple, proprietor of
the Corner Drug Store. P. E. Hoag is
the son of W. L. Hoag, who was elected a Justice of the Peace in
Portland
in 1863. Mr.
Hoag is a valued member of the force at the Red Front Cash Store and has been
president of the Business Men's Association from the beginning.
In the manufacturing line: P.
H. Bolger has made a great success as secretary of the Drew Elevated Carrier Co.
He has earned a high standing among business men.
He was for years editor of the Waterloo Democrat.
John Powers, the expressman, is the son of a prominent
Portland
farmer. Phillip
Fuchs, Hugh B. and Henry Stokes also came from
Portland
, the last of whom writes:
"I used to think down on our old farm in the Town of
Portland
was a nice place to live.
I enjoy farming near
Waterloo
where my hobby is raising big ears of corn, big
potatoes, big strawberries and big crops of barley".
Orithia Chapin was an efficient assistant to the Village Postmaster for a
dozen years. Her father was an early
Town Superintendent of Schools in
Portland
. Alexander
Archie,
Waterloo
's popular
postmaster, is an immigrant from
Portland
and also his brother, Albert Archie.
Frank Geise was born on the banks of the
Crawfish
River
.
Among the sons of
Portland
who are taking life easy in
Waterloo
after a life of toil are:
Casper Whipple, George Johnson and John McCormick.
There are doubtless others whose names are omitted who add prestige to
the citizenship of
Waterloo
.
A call of the roll will find
Portland
's contribution to
Waterloo
life, not only large in point of numbers but
high when measured by the standard of good citizenship.
A failure to mention the names of all is merely a failure of the memory
and because years of absence from the community have caused the writer to lose
connections that would be highly prized.
Return
to Portland history index