W. W. Winchell Biography
As published in
"The City of Kenosha and Kenosha County Wisconsin: A Record of Settlement,
Organization, Progress and Achievement"
by Frank H. Lyman Vol. 2, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1916.
W. W. Winchell is living retired in Wilmot, but was for many years engaged in
farming in Salem Township. He has reached the advanced age of eighty-seven
years, but is still vigorous and active and takes a keen interest in the affairs
of the day. He birth occurred in Cazenovia, Madison County, New York, on the
24th of November, 1828, and and his parents were Lyman and Mary (Wood) Winchell,
natives, respectively, of Vermont and Massachusetts. The father was a farmer by
occupation and met with gratifying success.
W. W. Winchell received his education in subscription schools in New York, as a
free public school system had not yet been established. In his boyhood he gave
much of this time to assisting his father on the farm, and thus gained
experience in what was of great value to him when he began farming on his own
account. He and a brother purchased one hundred and sixty acres in Madison
County, New York, which he operated for fifteen years, when he sold his
interests therein to his brother.
In 1867 Mr. Winchell arrived in Wisconsin, and settled at Bloomfield, in the
vicinity of which he purchased two hundred and fifty acres of land. After three
months, however, he sold that place and removed to Randall Township, Kenosha
County, where he bought a quarter section. He at once began the cultivation and
development of his farm, and as the years passed he accumulated a competence, as
he was both progressive and practical in his methods. He seldom failed to
harvest good crops and he also found stock raising profitable. He erected modern
buildings upon the place, and was careful to conserve the fertility of the soil
and to keep everything in good condition. About 1885 he turned the active work
of the farm over to his son, George, but continued to reside there until 1907,
when he removed to Wilmot, where he has since lived.
On the 1st of January, 1851 Mr. Winchell was united in marriage to Miss Marie
Kellogg, a daughter of James and Katie Kellogg, both of German descent. Mrs.
Winchell died in 1912, and her demise was sincerely regretted by her many
friends. She was the mother of three children: Charles, who was born on the 30th
of October, 1851 and died on the 23d of following December; George, who was born
on the 22d of October 1854, and is living retired in Wilmot; and Addie, who was
born on the 6th of September 1856, and is now the wife of Hiram Patrick, who is
operating the Winchell homestead.
Mr. Winchell formerly gave his allegiance to the Democratic party but is now a
Republican. For seven terms he served as Supervisor of Randall Township, and for
three years he was highway commissioner. He gave the same careful attention to
the discharge of this official duties as to the management of his farm, and his
record as a public servant is highly creditable alike to his ability and
conscientiousness. He was made a Mason in New York State, but later demitted
from his lodge there and became a charter member of Wilmot Lodge, No. 241,
Ancient Free & Accepted Masons. His life has been characterized by conformity to
high moral standards and by useful activity, and he fully deserves the high
honor in which he is held by his fellow citizens. Although he is now
eighty-seven years old he has a remarkably accurate memory and his physical as
well as mental powers are practically unimpaired.
Typed by: Michelle Laycock