From the

JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

Twenty-Sixth Annual Session

1873

MADISON, WIS.

Excerpted and transcribed by Robert Gruentzel;
HTML formatting by Deana Hipke

Peshtigo | Sugar Bush | Lincoln | Brussels | Nasawanpee | Birch Creek

THE DEAD IN THE BURNED DISTRICT

Fully three months of hard and laborious work have been sent by Col. J. H. Leavenworth
in making up a list of those burned; whole neighborhoods having been swept away without any warning, or leaving any trace, or record to tell the tale. It has been a difficult task to collect the number and names of families who have wholly or in part perished, although no pains have been spared to search out the survivors and make the records as nearly correct as possible.

The list can be depended upon as far as it goes, but it is well known that the numbers of people were burned, particularly in the village of Peshtigo, whose names have never been ascertained, and probably never will be, as many of these were transient persons at work in the extensive manufactories, and all fled before the horrible tempest of fire, many of them caught in its terrible embrace with no record of their fate except their charred and blackened bones. The people of Peshtigo can all tell of acquaintances they had before the fire of whom they lost all knowledge since, and that many perished in the company’s boarding house and the catholic and presbyterian churches, of whom not a vestige remains, there seems to be no reasonable doubt; for the very sands in the street were vitrified, and metals were melted in localities that seem impossible.

Top | The Dead | Home

List of dead recognized in Peshtigo

Alvord, John wife and one child.
Beebe, J. E. and wife Frances, and three children.
Bruette, Mrs. Anton.
Bruette, Mrs. Charles, and one child.
Barton, Roger, died from effects of the fire at Peshtigo harbor.
Cramer, Mrs. Michael, and two sons; husband saved, and one son.
Clement, Joseph G., just married; wife saved.
England, Mrs. William, and two children, fled to the village and were burned; husband and eight children remained in the sugar bush and were saved.
Jacobs, Frank, infant son of T. Jacobs, was taken to the river by his aunt, Charlotte Seymour; both drowned.
Kerr, James.
Kenan, James.
Kuncner, Ernest, found in river.
Lawerence, Charles, wife and four children; fled from lower sugar bush to village, and were all burned near the river.
Monaghan, Patrick.
Mellen, James, son and daughter of.
McGregor, Daniel, wife, and sister Jenny.
McDonald, Mrs. Leroy, and five children.
Marsh, Nellie, daughter of P. J. Marsh.
McMinn, Mrs. Silas.
McGregor, Mrs. James, and child.
Olestrom, Charles, wife and two children, and a lady visiting name unknown.
Olson, Hans, wife and two children.
Olson, Anson.
Plush, Charles.
Potter, J. T. child of.Stit, Mrs. Wilson, died at Marinette.
Scott, Joseph, child of, died at harbor.
Slaughter, Mrs. Robert and child.
Seymour, Miss Charlotta, drowned in river.
Tanner, Mrs. J. J. and two children.
Thompson, William, and wife.
Timmer, John, two sons and a daughter of.
Tackman, Mrs. Christina.
Westfall, Charles, wife and his father.
Winters, Neils.
Van Byninger, John.

Top | The Dead | Home

List of the Dead in the Sugar Bushes.

Alschwager [Alswager], Mrs. John and one child. Husband and five children saved.
Auest, Fred; wife saved.
Aldis, William, wife and two children, were from Connecticut, visiting the family of N. May, also burned.
Mrs. Nepthallon May, was the sister of Mrs. Aldis.
Bruce, Mrs. August, and three children; husband and two children saved.
Bell, Mrs. William; husband and child saved.
Birney, Caroline; lived with Chas. Chapman and family; burned.
Bush, Charles, Wife and six children.
Bosworth, Mrs. Olive, with two children of John Taylor’s.
Busly, John.
Brackett, Augusta.
Bartels, Miss Augusta; was visiting her grandmother; daughter of Capt. Fred J. Bartels, of Peshtigo.
Bohemaster, Henry, wife and child.
Curtis, William, and daughter. Mrs. Eliza Curtis, his wife, was badly crippled by fire and remains so.
Church, John, wife and one child - Warren Church cut his throat rather than be burned, but was saved.
Chapman, Charles, wife and son and hired man and girl.
Cook, Jacob E., wife and three children, burned in root house.
Diedrich, Joseph (alias Bailey), wife and three children. Enlisted in the 5^th Wisconsin infantry under the name of Bailey, and drew a pension for wounds untill he was burned. His wife was found dead, standing upright, leaning against the roots of a large tree.
Doyle, Patrick, wife and seven children, known to have been upon their farm at the time of the fire. Nothing has been heard or seen of their remains since. Mrs. Doyle was a daughter of John Derryman, of Mill Point, Michigan. Three of the children by her first husband, Ferguson.
Davis, Norman, wife and three children. This family were burned in a well. James Hays, a hired man and a hired girl, name not known, also burned.
Duckett, Benjamin, wife and one child.
Eamer, Mrs. Mary Ann. Husband died just before fire; two sons saved.
Fletcher, Mary and Halsey, children of Lucius.
Fagan, Mrs. Martin, and two children; husband saved.
Glass, Flora, Belle and William, children of James.
Gregor, John, and wife.
Hayes, Isreal; wife saved.
Helms, Charles, wife and son. Mr. Helms traveled a long distance in the fire. The calves of his legs burned loose; dragging on the ground, held by cords. Was taken to the hospital at Marinette, but soon died.
Hill, L. H., and wife.
Hoyt, Charles E., wife and one child.
Hoyt, Enoch, wife and one child. One saved. Three other sons were badly burned. One in trying to save the life of his mother, Mrs. Maria Hoyt, who begged to be left to her fate, which he refused to do, and is badly crippled by the fire in consequence.
Hayes, Henry Sr., wife and one son.
Hayes, Rebecca, wife of Henry Hayes Jr., and one child.
Jackson, Harry, child of E. A. Jackson.
Jackson, John, left with the child named above.
Jackson, Asa, reported burned, remains not identified.
King, John, wife and four children. A daughter and son away from home were saved.
King, Robert, wife and three children. A daughter absent from home, saved.
Kiefer, Peter, wife and two children; one saved.
Kappus [Cappus], Catharine, wife of Chris., and two children; husband
and three children saved.
Kelly, Terence, and one child; wife and three children saved.
Karrow, Michael, and wife; two children saved.
Loucks, Lindsey, and wife.
Loyal, John.
Lafay, Joseph and wife.
Lembk [Lemke], Charles, had his wife and five children on a wagon, fleeing for safety, when one of his horses falling, he got out to help him up, and finally succeeding in doing so, and upon returning to the wagon found his family all dead. He finally reached a small brook near by, in which he lay until morning, when returning, he found the remains of his family and wagon entirely consumed.
Leasuae [Leasure], Mrs. Joseph Jr., and four children; husband saved.
Leach, Ann, wife of Peter Leach.
Leach, Lot wife and infant.
Law, James.
May, Nepthallon, wife and child.
Moore, Mrs. Hiram, and five children. Mr. Moore could not induce them to leave the house after it was enveloped in flames, and barely escaped himself.
Myers, George, wife and four children.
Newton, Ralph and Lizzie, children of Samuel and Helen Newton.
Newberry, Henry Sr.; wife saved; absent from house.
Newberry, Charles O., and two children; wife saved.
Newberry, Edward S., wife and child.
Newberry, Walter, wife and three children.
The three later named were sons of Henry Newberry Sr.
Olson, Mrs. Nelson and two children, husband and two saved.
Pratt, A. A., wife and two children; two saved.
Pentree, Charles, Sr., wife and three children; two saved.
Pentree, Mrs. William and two children; husband saved.
Papp, William, Jr.
Prestine, Mrs. Joaquin; husband badly crippled.
Phillips, Cornelia E., Daughter of R.E.P.; died from effects of the fire.
Perault, Nelson, wife and eight children, and a Frenchman with them could not be ascertained.
Race, Martin, wife and two children.
Seymour, Fred., son of Isaac J. and Charolette; reported in Peshtigo list.
Soper, William.
Sheponto, Peter.
Smith, John Fritz, wife and two children.
Spear, Lemuel H., wife and two children.
Segar, Lyman, wife and child.
Tousley, Mrs. C. R.; Mr Tousley cut the throats of his two children and his own; all found dead.
Taylor, John and two children; wife and one child saved.
Utter, Mrs. John, and two children; husband saved.
Vanderhoven, John.
Wienhart, Philip, wife and five children; four saved.
Wenzel, John, Sr., and wife.
Warneck, John.

This closes the list of those identified in Peshtigo, and the Sugar Bushes, while
all who are familiar with the circumstances, assert that large numbers were found
and buried, who could not be recognized. ...

Top | The Dead | Home

List of the burned in Lincoln

Bodot, Mrs. Louis, was found in the woods eight days after the fire, crushed to death by a fallen tree.
Denis, Mary.
Delafosse, Matilda.
Dantoin, Mrs. Joseph, and three children; although to death herself, she had so well
protected an infant in her arms, that it was saved, though badly burned.
Licot, Maurice, left his house with a roll of leather and a new pair of boots which he left
after proceeding a short distance, and returned it is supposed to save his wife; his remains were found in the cellar; his wife waved her life by lying beside a heap of stones in the field.
Wendrick, Mrs.. John B., left her house to go to the house of a neighbor, Dantoin, for three of her children, which she got and left with three of Dantoin’s children; they were all burned to death.

Top | The Dead | Home

List of burned in Brussels [Click here for the 1870 census of Brussels in Door County]

Kolbeck, George, wife and three children.
Milichewart, Joseph, wife and four children.
Mutter, Frank, wife and two children.
Pavlic, Casper, a child of.
Seveikert, Michael, wife and five children; also his wife’s father and mother, names not ascertained.
Shelber, John, wife and child.
Trydy, wife and five children; also his wife’s father and mother, and his brother-in-law, names
could not be ascertained.
Weiss, Louis, wife and one child.

The following were burned at Schoefields & Co’s Mill, section 15 Brussels:

Crow, John (an Indian)
Doughherty, John.
Doughherty, William.
Doughherty, Sarah.
Disotelle, Mary.
Ligot, Hypolite.
McNames, John.
McWilliams, Daniel, (colored).
Wood, John.

Top | The Dead | Home

Nasawanpee [Click here for the 1870 census of Nasewaupee Township in Door County]

Larch, Caspar, and two children of Peter Larch. [This name is spelled "Lorch" in the census. -dch]

Top | The Dead | Home

List of persons burned at Birch Creek, in the town of Menominee, Mich

I am indebted to J. R. Brooks, Esq., secretary of the relief committee at Menominee,
for the following names, who was personally acquainted with all except the last four named.

Ames, Mrs. Phineas, aged 42 years.
Ames, Lincoln, a child aged 7 years.
Ames, Mary, an infant child. Mr. Ames badly crippled in both hands and feet, with
two daughters was saved.
Brokling, Peter,aged 40 years.
Brokling, Kate, his wife, aged 45 years.
Brokling, Kate, his daughter, aged 15 years.
Brokling, William, a son, aged 9 years.
Brokling, Philip, a son, aged 8 years.
Brokling, Theodore, a son, aged 6 years.
Brokling, Fred., a son, aged 1 year.
Blanrette, William and Nellie, aged 6 and 3 years.
Hill, James, aged 42 years.
Hill, William, a son, aged 13 years.
Hill, Mary, a daughter, aged 3 years.
Hill, John, a son, aged 6 years. Mrs. James Hill and a daughter about 14 were saved.
Mrs. Hill’s hands were so severely burned that the flesh between the fingers united and
have been recently cut apart.
Kuninger, Karl, aged 38 years.
Linden, Charles, Aged 18 years.
M. N. Vallier, aged 63 years.
Osidiler, O. B., aged 28 years.
Two travelers, strangers, names unknown.

[End of Document]