Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-03-29
VENERABLE NEWSPAPER MAN, SOL
DER, JURIsT AND PUBLICIsT
DIES AT APPLETON, WIS.
WIFE DIED A WEEK AGO.
Pneumonia Develops After He Is Taken
Ill During Her Funeral-Was Blind,
But His Pen Never Stopped.

at the home OF his brother, James Ryan,
here this morning.
His wife died eight days ago. Mr..
Ryan was taken i'll on the way to the
cemetery during her funeral and has
been gradually declining since. He suf-
fered with pneumonia.
With the death of the venerable editor
one branch of the Ryan family is ended,
as there are no surviving children. Sew
eral brothers, however, remain, these be
ing Editor James Ryan, Attorney Henry
Ryan and David Ryan, all of Appleton.
The funeral will be held Thursday aft
eruOon.
Long Service as an Editor.
Sam Ryan, printer, editor, soldier, jur-
list, man of affairs, has been in the edi-
t0riai harness in the state of Wisconsin
for over sixty years, and was one of the
oldest editors in the state,
He was born in Sacketts Harbor, def
ferson county, New York, March Is,
1924. His parentage was notable. His
father was Col. Samuel Ryan, who was a
Protestant iriShman, born in 1889, III
County Ilpperary, and tracing his an
cestry back to the Fifth century. His
mother was Martha Johnson, a descend
ant Of the Flies of Scotland Col. Ryan
had been impressed into the British navy
and sent to the British fleet on Lake On
tario for services in the War of 1872.
lie managed to desert to lhe American
lines, taking with him the ships papers
he being purser's clerk-and joining the
American army fought for them at Lun-
dy's Lane, Pittsburgh and other engage
mentS i'll 1914. After serving one enlist
ment he married, III 1923, in Erie, Pa,
and refusing to re-eniSt was given civil
employment i'll the quartermasters de-
partment and in 1896 sent to old Fort
Howard. at Green Bay. There he re-
manned until 1852, performing creditable
work IN negotiating treaties with the In
dams and taking part in the Black Hawk
war, for which he was rewarded by Gov.
Dodge with a cOiOneIS commission and
the first appointment as justice of the
peace issued in the territory of WiscOn-
sin. From 1852 to 1861 he was receiver
of the land office at Menasha, and died
there in 1876, aged 81 years.
The boyhood of Judge Sam Ryan was
spent at the military post of old Fort
Howard, and in the post school he re-
celVed the rudlmentS of his education,
studying afterward with a tutor and at
"a private school until he eciipsed his
teacher and exhausted the educar iOnaI
facilities of the pioneer trading post.
Becomes a Printers Apprentice
In 1871 he became an apprentice to
the printers trade in the office of the
Green Bay Republican, remaining there
until 1874 when he went to Milwaukee
and worked a short time at his trade re-
turning to the Green Bay Republican
after a few months, upon the murder of
the editor, c. &. Z. Arndt, by a fellow
member upon the floor of the territorial
council chamber in Madison, to take edi-
tOrial and business charge of the paper.
He soon acquired the ownership of the
Republican, and in the fall of 1917 re-
moved it to Fond du Lac. where he pub
lished it for three years as the Fountain
City, and then diSpoSing of it, returned to
Green Bay, where he established the
Spectator. In January, 1858, he came to
Appleton, then about to be Incorporated
as Il village, and established the Appleton
Crescent, with which he has ever since
been identified as editor and part owner.
The first number of the Crescent was
printed in Il little log shanty, and at press
time the doors of the shanty had to be
locked, so great was the crowd of pio-
neers who gathered to see the first paper
run off. The Crescent still lives ard is
published, as for fifty years past, under
the firm name of Ryan x BRO, and few
are its issues from the first one till the
day of his death that have not contained
either regular editorial work or communi-
cations from his pen.
The Civil War found Sam Ryan among
the Union Democrats, and raising com
pany of volunteers he joined the Third
Wisconsin Cavalry, with whom he served
until invalded at Fort Leavenworth,
KaS., i'll 1868, and hOnorably discharged.
Returning to Appleton he resumed his
work On the Crescent, ana save for
short interval in 1895, when he went to
st. Johns, Newfoundland, as United
States consul, he has remained at his
post as dictator of the editorial policy
of that paper.
Held Public Places.
Aside from his editorial duties Judge
Ryan always found time to take an &C"
- l,rIf1 npyNTYS
offices of trust. At Green Bay he was
school commissioner for three years; was
a member of the first village board of
Appleton after its Incorporation in 1853,
the year of his arrival; clerk of the court
two years; trustee OF the Appleton GENE
terry forty years; member of the Assem-
bly, one term; county judge two terms
school clerk of the Second district twenty
years, the Ryan high school being named
for him; justice of the peace over twenty
years.
Since becoming an Odd Fellow in 1917
he has been prominent in that order, and
was largely instrumental IN the establish
ment of konemic Lodge of Appleton. Be
sides occupying all the chairs III the local
lodge he has long been member OF the
grand lodge: was grand master two
terms; grand representative five years;
member of the Sovereign Grand Lodge,
and director in the Wisconsin Odd Eel
lows Insurance Company for twenty-five
years.
He has also been a prominent member
of the Grand Army since the organiza
ton of George ID. EggleSton Post in
Appleton.
Member of State Press Association.
For many years he has been a member
of the Wisconsin Press Association, and
Il familiar figure at its annual gatherings
and i'll its councils.
Judge Ryan's first marriage was in
1S4T, at Green Bay, to Laura E
Knappen, vino died in 1850. In 1858 he
married Calsta N. Crane. who died in
1869. Later he married Martha S.
briggs of Rome. \. Y, who survives
him. He leaves no surviving children.
In 1890 Judge Ryan retired from the
office of justice of the peace after twenty
years service, and about the same time
reinQuished active work on the Crescent,
except as to the shaping of it's editorial