Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-08-29
JUDGE DOOLITTLE HERE
Come to see the City in Which He was
Born and Where He Lived for
Five Years


For the past few days there has
4 been in Wausau gentleman who had
not been here since 1859. His name
is Edward Sturdevant Doolittle. His
father, Lamberton Doolittle, and
mother, Cloy Ann Sturdevant, "a sis
ter of Geo. r. SturdeVant of Mer-
| rilD were united in marriage in 1852,
in Almond, n. Y. and came directly
to Wausau to carve out their fortunes
on the Western borders. Mr.. Doc
little went into the mercantile bust
ness, building the old Kickbusch
store on the corner of Main and
Washington streets, which is prac-
tically the same today as when built
nearly sixty years ago. Mr.. Doolittle
also entered into the lumber business,
and in partnership with Rufus P.
Manson. operated what was then
known as the Walrod saw mill,
which afterwards became the proper
ty of B. G. Plumer. Mr.. Doolittle
went out of the mercantile business
in 1857 and purchased farm about
| one mile ard half above Jim Moore
creek, which he operated for two
| years, and he then went back with
his family to Almond, N. Y. He en-
listed in the U. S. army at the open
ing of the civil war and served until
its close. In 1871 he moved with his
family to Huntington, Va, on the
Ohio river. This was a town about
the size of Wausau when he came
here in 1852, and in that little berg
he built the first store and fashioned
it after the store he built here.
In 1877 he was appointed U. S.
revenue collector and during the fall
of 1878 he was sent up into the
| mountains after Illicit distillers, and
his son, now in Wausau, went with
| him. They were fired on from am
bush and Mr.. DoOlittle was severely.
| wounded in his left arm and right
leg. When he recovered he went to
Washington, d. c., where he was in
the service of the government for
many years. He died in Huntington,
Va, in August, 1909. This is brief
history of a man whose name is al
most household one down to the
present time, as the farm up the river
is still called the Doolittle place and
has been since 1859.
e. S. Doolittle, whom the PILOT at
the outset, said was in the city, is
now judge of the Sixth circuit of
| Virginia and has been for the past
fifteen years, his home being at
Huntington, Va. He was born in
this city on the oath day of August,
1854, in the building built by his
father on the corner of Main and
Washington streets, and a visit to
and through that building yesterday
was a pleasure he had long anticipat-
ed. Recently he made up his mind
| to visit the land of his birth and also
to visit relatives. He brought his
uncle, S. M. Brown, with him from
Almond, Portage Co., Wis. Mr..
Brown came to Wausau in 1857 and
remained until 1859, working on his
brother-in-law's farm. He raised and
built the large barn on that place
which stood there for so many years.
| Mr.. Brown remembers part of the
| city very well, viz:
Main street, Plumer island, Shingle
street, etc., and yesterday Walter
Alexander and James Young took
both gentlemen up to the old Doc
little place, where they found the
cellar of the old home. Floods had
washed away much of the soil but on
the whole it looked much the same
as it did half century ago with the
exception of the buildings. Today
they went up to Merrill to spend
few days with Geo. R. Sturdevant.
Mr.. Doolittle is very able and
genial gentleman with whom it is
pleasure to meet. He was very much
| impressed with Wausau and it's peo-
pie and says he will not let another
so years pass without visiting us.
Notwithstanding Wausau is hust-
ling city, he says that Huntington,
Va, in 1871 was about like Wausau
was in 1850, and today the, former
city has a population of over 10000
| inhabitants.
Mr.. Doolittle was somewhat startled
and considerably dazed while walk
ing along Third street. When he
reached the Marathon County bank,
he looked up and saw the firm name
of Bump & Manson, lawyers. Elisha
L. Bump and Mr.. DOolittle came
from the same neighborhood in New
York and knew each other well and
Mr.. Rufus Manson was former part
ner of his father. They were the
fathers of the gentlemen who COM
prise the members CT the firm men
| toned.
Mr.. Doolittle may return to Wau-
sau for few days before returning to
| his home.