Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-01-02
Sketch of an Early Settler in WIS
conSin.


though the subject of the following
sketch has been dead long time,
there are yet living, many friends of
his, who will be pleasantly reminded
OF their old companion, and of his
many excellent qualities, by read
ing it. An article in the Dubuque
Times of the 18th of December, att
tracted the attention OF q friend of
the late Mr.. Hough, who has kindly
furnished the sketch for publication.
The Times article was as follows:
REMARKABLE PREsERvATIoN.-Mr James
Mcbride took up from their burial places, in
Potosl, Wis, the remains of seven persons,
ali OF one family by the name of Hough, and
brought them here for interment. On taking
them up he found the bones of the body Of
MIR. Hough-his wife's father-who was bur-
led over u years ago, perfectly preserved,
and his burial clothes were entirely whole, as
when first buried. The very polish on the
neck-tie was strongly apparent, and the cloth
itself was so strong he could not tear it. The
hair, some of which Mr.. Nc Bride secured,
was as beautiful and lustrous as when in life.
In removing one or two Of the bodies in the
burial grounds here to make room for those
brought from Potosi, he found the body of
Benny Woods, buried three years ago, did not
give single token of decomposition. Even
the flush of life was observable in the face.
Strange, serious, pleasant thoughts.
The Mr.. Hough mentioned in the
above paragraph, was Asa Edgerton
Hough, one Of the pioneers of South
western Wisconsin, was q prominent
Free and Accepted Mason, and we'll
Known TO the early settlers OF that
section during its Territorial days,
as a part of the Territory of Michi~
gan and Wisconsin or Ouskansan, as
the word was originally spelled
Mr.. Hough came from ST. Louis to
Galena in company with party Of
gentlemen in pirouge, in 1927, and
during that summer established a
smelling furnace at place he christ
ened Gibraltar, about two and a
half miles from the mouth OF the
Platte river, in what is now Grant
County and also selected mill
site on the Platte, some six or seven
miles above Gibraltar, and set a few
men at work clearing it up, prepare
tory to the erection of a saw mill;
and the next year, 1923, be built the
mill, which was probably the first
mill built by any private person in
what is now the State of Wisconsin.
The same year, 1928, u post-office
was established a. and known as
Gibraltar, it being the only one be-
tween Galena and Prairie du CHEN
for many years. In 1882. Mr.. IL.
took part in the Black Hawk war,
aud was ut the battle of the Bad Axe.
Mr.. Hough carried on the business
Of smelling at Gibraltar Till 1884,
when he closed up the business and
removed his family to his mill, where
he resided till the year before his
death. when.he removed to Potosi,
then better known as SnaHe Hollow,
where be died. Mr.. Hough was
born at Lebanon. New Hampshire
received very fair education, and
at an early age entered the count
ingAroom Of Benjamine Dodd 4 Co.
Of Boston, st that day large mer-
chants and extensive ship-owners.
At the age of Is years, ne was sent
out as Supercargo OF ship. At "a
be was Master, and followed the
sea till he was &c, when he went to
Washington. D. g, and engaged in
merchantile pursuits, which be fol-
lowed with remarkable success for
two years, when u fire not only burn
ed up all he was worth, but left him
many thousand dollars in debt
During his residence in Washington,
he had succeeded in making friends
OF many Of the leading statesmen OF
that day. Among them, such men
as Messrs. Clay, Webster, Calhoun,
Benton, Van Buren, and General
Jackson. After the fire, he imme-
oiately took his family, consisting of
a;young wife and son, and came to
ST. Louis, No. The contracts for
supplying the Military Posts on the
Upper Mississippi being then adver-
tlsed, he put IN bids, and secured
most Of them, for the Posts of Fort
Armstrong Crock Island,) Crawford
prairie du CHEM and Smelling,
then beiag built, ut the mouth of
what was then called the st. Peters,
now Minnesota, River. Steam boat
ing was then new business on the
Upper Mississippi. Mr. Hough char
tered the steamer ROuer, u boat of
bout so or 80 tons measurement t..
hat considered O tirst-class boat of
that day and with couple ofkneels
now called barges, transported the
supplies to those Forts, taking back
lead from Galena. In few months,
he found himself out of debt, and
with sufficient cash TO again start in
business, which he did at St. Louis.
Subsequently, he came to the lead
mines, as above stated. Mr.. FL. was
man Of more than ordinary intel
lect. He had a passion for books |;
was close student, and became a
fine scholar. He was a man of me-
dunn stature, but commanding APP
pearance and his opinions always
commanded respect. In business,
he was straightforward, open man.
lie had little patience with what is
generally known as sharp traders :.
and abominated falsehood. Polit-
ically, he was Wing, and, like most
all wings of the day, became nearly
sick, when he learned, through the
slow old mail stage Of that day, that
Pennsylvania had gone against Mr..
Clay, and Mr.. Polk was elected. -
He was man of strong opinions,
but of generous and charitable i'm
pulses and, while he held fast to
his own well-considered opinions, he
treated those of others, differing
with him, with respect. He was
man of remarkable polish, and of
easy, graceful manners. Among his
warm friends, was the late James
Duane Doty, with whom he formed
an intimate friendship in Washing.
ton, at the time Mr.. Doty was APP.
pointed Judge of the Territory Of
MinhiOan and his friapdship fas.ad