Biographical Sketch of

Robert Page

Transcribed by Char Eckman



Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Counties, Wisconsin, 
published 1890 by Acme Publishing Co., Chicago, Pages 770 - 772

Robert Page, one of the pioneer settlers of Marquette County, now residing on section 22, in the town of Packwaukee, 
is numbered among the large land owners and extensive stock-raisers of this community, his landed possessions aggregating 
1,160 acres, 100 of which is pasture land, the remaining 560 being excellent farming land, while 400 acres are situated 
in his home farm. Since the month of June, 1849, he has carried on agricultural pursuits in the town where he is now 
living, and is not only regarded as one of the leading farmers of this section, but is numbered among the most highly 
respected citizens.

The birthplace of Mr. Page is Yorkshire, England, where he opened his eyes to the light of day, March 18, 1817, and his 
parents were Brazel and Ann (Sudwick) Page, who was born, reared, married and died in England. Their family numbered six 
children who attained to adult age and all became residents of America, with the exception of the youngest daughter, 
Eliza, who is still living in England. The first to cross the broad Atlantic and make a home in the New World was Samuel, 
the eldest son, who landed in New York City in 1835, and there made his home until his death in 1866. He was a machinist 
by trade, and at his death left a wife and two children, a son and daughter. Hannah, who is now the wife of Charles 
Kempler, of the town of Buffalo, Marquette County, was the first to follow her brother. The next arrivals were our 
subject, his sister Jane and her family and a niece, Mary Ann Page, who made the journey in 1849. Jane was the wife of 
William Neal, but both she and her husband are now deceased, Elizabeth, the remaining member of the family, who is the 
wife of Thomas Anderson, of Malcolm, Poweshiek Co., Iowa, came to America in 1882.

The father of our subject died when Robert was nineteen years of age, and as he left to his family no patrimony, the 
youth just approaching the years of manhood, started out in life for himself as a farm-hand, and in that way accumulated 
about L30, equal to about $150 in United States money. With that capital, in company with a young man of about his own 
age, he began buying and manufacturing flax, which occupation he followed for nine years. Possessing business ability of 
a high order and practicing economy, he soon accumulated considerable means and increased his business until the firm 
employed twenty hands. A few more years of such prosperity would have made Mr. Page a wealthy man but misfortune overtook 
him in the shape of a disastrous fire which destroyed the factory and all its contents. The fire probably originated from 
a spark falling from the pipe of one of the employees who was smoking, and dropping amid the inflammable material soon 
ignited the whole building and the accumulation of years of hard toil was swept away within an hour. Mr. Page and his 
partner, with the same energy which had characterized their previous efforts and led to their success, began business 
again in the same line, but it was no easy task to start anew so our subject determined to try his fortune in America. 
His partner, however, continued in business for a time and was quite prosperous.

On the 14th of April, 1849, Mr. Page boarded a sailing vessel at Liverpool and after thirty-two days reached the harbor 
of New York. The ship in which he sailed was the Western World, and carried passengers to the number to 1,000. 
Spending but one day in the great Eastern metropolis, he then started westward, going up the Hudson to Albany and thence 
by rail to Buffalo and on by the Great Lakes to Racine, where his sister, Mrs. Kempler, was living. He visited her for 
about a week, and in the meantime purchased four yoke of cattle, with which he started for Marquette County, accompanied 
by his nephew, John Kempler, who is now living in Ft. Dodge, Iowa. After about a week, Mr. Page reached his destination, 
which was the town of Packwaukee, and immediately settled upon the farm where he now lives. The land belonged to the Fox 
River Company, but he purchased it soon after it came into the market.

For eight years Mr. Page lived alone, keeping bachelor's hall, but at the end of that time he chose for himself a helpmate 
in the person of Miss Margaret Jane, daughter of William and Ann Fallis. She lived but four years after her marriage, 
however, leaving two little daughters to the care of her husband, namely: Ann Eliza, who is now the wife of Townsend 
Whitson, who is living in the town of Packwaukee; and Margaret S. who married Lawrence Potter, and died Feb. 8, 1887. Mr. 
Page has been a second time married, his present wife being Susan Cooper, daughter of Henry and Ellen Cooper, who were 
early settlers of the town of Springfield, where they are still living. Four children were born of this union -- Robert S.,
Ida E., Walter W., and Mary. Mrs. Page has a daughter by her former husband – Jennie Thompkins, who is now the wife of 
a Mr. Jones, of the town of Shields.

As will have been seen, Mr. Page is one of the earliest settlers of Marquette County. All was new at the time of his 
arrival, the villages of Montello and Packwaukee had not yet begun their existence nor had Portage then been founded. The 
Indians were numerous and he remembers seeing as many as 400 warriors participating in an Indian dance on the banks of 
Buffalo Lake. In fact, he had many friends among the red men; always treating them kindly, he received kind treatment in 
return. Few men have done more for the upbuilding of the town or county, or have taken a greater interest in the welfare 
and prosperity of the community. A self-made man, who has acquired all his possessions and whose intercoursed with his 
fellow-men has been marked with the greatest uprightness, he receives the confidence and respect of all with whom business 
or pleasure have brought him in contact. As prosperity attended him, he became more liberal in support of all worthy 
enterprises and has done much for the promotion of those interests which are calculated to benefit the community. He and 
his wife have a pleasant home where they are surrounded by many comforts. Mr. Page is still in the enjoyment of good 
health and bids fair to see many more years of life.






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