Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-11-16
OLD PIONEER GONE.
Levi Fleming, WauSau'S Oldest lnhabitant,
Passed Away Last Night, Nov. "A, 1915.
Deceased Came to Big Bull Falls on the l4th day of
October 1914.

Wisconsin at that point in canoe,
it capsized and he was nearly drowned.
Pearson had just returned from pay
ing the object of his affections Miss
Jenny visit and some man in the
crew christened the place "Jenny
Bull' and the name stuck.
June y, 1S47, Mr.. Fleming met
with loss, wherein the log crop of
the previous winter was carried away
by the high water; the boom broke
and $4,000 worth of logs went in the
twinkling of an eye. His creditors,
however, encouraged him to perse-
| we're and continue and the following
year he succeeded, making enough to
pay up and have som ething left to
the good. The timber was good, run
| ming about three logs to the thous-
sand. In l849 he built mill. In
| fact he was forced to do So as the
mill capacity on the river was
totally unequal to the demand. He
| had entered into a partnership with
two others for this purpose but the
partnership proved unsatisfactory to
| him and he offered his interests there
in to his partners if they would re-
lease him from liability. but they
would not release him and he had to
settle an indebtedness of 81, 900. Alex
ander Stewart, afterwards member of
congress, worked for Levi Fleming
that year for $4,000 per month.
Mr. Fleming started for California
in the fall of 1850, taking fleet of
lumber down the river on the way
When he arrived at Conant pond, be-
low Stevens Point, his lumber froze
| in. He then took contract to build
barn at Little Bull Falls, now Most
nee, and worked there that winter.
In the spring of 1851 he took his lum-
Der to KeOkuk, Iowa. and sold it, and
returning to WauSau went to work at
various things, such as building barns
and bridges, "ran the river" carried
the mail to Ontonagon, Mich, for one
trip distance of one hundred and
seventeen miles, air line, but by trail
and road aggregated two hundred
miles.
In 1861, when the war broke out, he
did not know exactly what to do,
being cOnscientiously opposed to war,
but finally concluded to go to the
front, enlisting in the Third Wiscon-
sin infantry. He was at Buzzard's
RoOst, Tenn, Cassville, Resacca,
Peach Tree Creek, Lost Mountain and
at the siege of Atlanta, Ga, and was
then transferred into the Pioneer
corps and served as pioneer from
that time to the close of the war. He
was engaged in the battle of Black
Creek, and at the battle of Columbus,
South Carolina. In 1865 he returned
from Columbus to Washington, d. c.,
with his regiment. From Washing
ton they went to Parkersburg, w.
Va, down the Ohio river, on a trans
port, to Louisville; thence to Madi-
son, Wisconsin, where he was dis
charged from the service.
He has remained here since the war,
was married on the ninth day of No
vember, 1882 to Mary E. Grips, who
passed away in this city on the third
day of April, 1914, which was on the
birthday of her husband. Mrs. Elem
ing was exactly ten years younger
than her husband at the time of her
death, she being eighty-four years and
seven months, and MIR. Fleming was
ninety-fOur years and seven months
when he passed away. When Levi
Fleming came to Wausau in 1874,
seventy-One years ago, three log shan
ties and frame workshop cOnSti-
tuted the dOmicileS of the settlement.
The frame workshop was built for
the purpose of facilitating the work
of building the Moore & Berry mill,
then the Plumer mill 1t was during
the first term of w. d. McIndoe in
the legislature that the name was
changed from Big Bull Falls to Wau-
Sau, which is Chippewa Indian
word meaning far away.
He is the last of the large family of
brothers and sisters. He has surviv-
ing, the following nephews: C. NJ.
Fleming, of this city; E. B. Fleming,
Spring Valley, Mo; E. G. Fleming,
Mount Vernon, Ohio; A. n. Fleming,
SeabreeZe, Florida.
The funeral will be held Thursday
afternoon at two o'clock from the
house, Rev. Richard Evans will con-
duct the services. Burial will be
made in Pine Grove cemetery. The
following are the pail bearers: r. D.
Sawyer, James Young, A. A. Book,
William Whippler, Wesley Single and
! l. y FThovnr