Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-01-23
!. F. |NCRAHiM
PASSES AWAY

James Edward Ingraham, died a.
his home in Babcock, Wood County.
Wisconsin, early Thursday mornf1g.
He is nearly the last of those active
pioneers, who took a large part IN
the early history OF Wood County
Mr.. Ingraham was born in Erie
county, New York, June 7th, 1912.
At an early age he was left an or
phan and went to live with hisbro-
ther-fn-law, John \, Brundage. With
Mr.. Brundage's family, he came west
first to Waukegan, Illinois, and in
November, 1857 to Grand Rapids. Mr..
]. n. Brundage started the Wood
County Reporter that year and Mr..
Ingrdham, then a mere boy, worked
in the printing office until the ci-
vii war. At the beginning Of the war
he enlisted in Company G Of the
7th regiment of Wisconsin Volunteer
Infantry. He servd actively in the
Union Army until near the close OF
the war, when he was honOrably dis
charged because of wounds. Twice,
while in the service he was so bad
IL wounded that it was thought that
he could not recover. OF him his Co
oneI said No better soldier ever wore
the blue than Jimmie Ingraham."
After the Civil War, Mr.. Ingra-
ham returned to Grand Rapids. Short
" after his return he purchased an
interest in the Wood County Reporter
which he and his brother-in-law,
II. B. Phiue6 edited and published
until the year 1880.
He, also with Mr.. PhilIeo, owned a
drug store in Grand Rapids.
After disposing Of his interest
in the Reporter, Mr. Ingraham en-
gagged extensively in the lumber bu-
siness. In his numbering operations
he was associated at different times
with his brother-in-law, J. D. Witter,
and with John Daily. Henry A. Sanp-
son and James Canning, all Wood
county men. He also had large lum-
Der interests with Messrs. Wider
& Collins at Madison, Wis. In the
early eighties Mr.. Ingraham moved
his family to Madison, where he re
sided for several years, his firm there
carving on a wholesale lumber bust
ness At the same time he continued
to cut lumber in Wood and Oneida
counties. While at Madison he invest
ed much Of his large estate in the
cranberry business in Wood County
and in the late eighties moved to
DAILY. Wood County, Wis, where his
cranberry interests were located
The fires of the years 1898 and
1894 swept away practically all OF
the cranberry vines and marsh inn
provements in central Wisconsin, ant
Mr.. Ingraham's marshes were no eX-
ception.
With all of his ready means gone
but with a large amount of marsh
lands on his hands. undiscouraged he
turned his attention to farming
those lands. During the excessively
dry years following the fires he was
very successful But with the com
ING of normal seasons his lands were
wet.
He then set on foot the organi-
zation of the Remington Drainage
District to drain his and adjoining
lands. With its organization he was
appointed one of it's commissioners
and elected its secretary, which po-
sition he held until his health fail
ed about two years ago. The court
also appointed Mr. Ingraham a com
missioner of the Cranberry CreeB
Drainage District and of the Kerr
Creek Drainage District, in each OF
which he was elected secretary. Ht
held this position in each district un
til in his weakened condition the worl
became such burden, that he could
no longer do it as he thought il
should be done.
About six years ago his health be
gan to fail. Gradually his body weak
ened. but his active mind remained
clear until Monday, Jan. 13, when ht
sank into his last sleep.
Mr.. Ingraham leaves surviving hin
his beloved wife. Ellen R. Ingraham
his daughter. Mrs. Arthur w. Laytor