Biographical Sketch of

Briggs Shead

Transcribed by Suzanne Folk for the Marquette Co WI Pages


Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Counties, Wisconsin, 
published 1890 by Acme Publishing Co., Chicago, Pages 391 - 392

Briggs Shead, who resides on section 10 in the town of Aurora, is a representative of one of the pioneer families 
of Waushara County, of which he became a resident in the spring of 1852. He was born in Onondaga County, N. Y., 
June 23, 1839, and is a son of William and Abigail (Estabrook) Shead, the former born in Vermont, in 1801 and the 
letter in the same State in 1802. Their marriage was celebrated in 1822, and for a number of years Mr. Shead engaged 
in farming in the Empire State, but at length he determined to see what benefit it would be to him if he settled on 
the prairies of the West and there made a home, so we find him in 1850 enroute for Wisconsin, which but a short time 
previous had been admitted to the Union. He first settled in the town of Rushford, Winnebago County, but in the spring 
of 1852, changed his place of residence to a farm on section 10, in the town of Aurora, Waushara County, where he made 
his home until his death on the 10th of June, 1877. His wife still survives him and makes her home with her daughter, 
Mrs. Lorain Bliss, but our subject provides for all her wants and needs. That worth couple were the parents of five 
children, all of whom are yet living-Elisha E., who is engaged in farming on section 11, in the town of Aurora; Lorain 
M., widow of L. P. Bliss; Charles, who is engaged in farming and carpentering in Clark County, S. D.; William, also a 
resident farmer of the same state; and Briggs of this notice.

The early opportunities which our subject had for acquiring an education were quite limited, he being but a lad of 
eleven years when the family came to Wisconsin and the schools of the pioneer country did not afford very extensive 
advantages in that direction. He is one of the early settlers of Waushara County and has shared in the hardships and 
difficulties incident to life on the frontier. On the arrival of the family they settled on what is now known as 
Shead's Island, named in honor of the father of our subject, who there built a log house and established his family. 
The cabin was covered with shakes and had a puncheon floor. When the expenses of the emigration were paid Mr. Shead 
found that he had but money enough left to buy two or three hundred feet of lumber and a sack of flour. As they arrived 
in the fall and no crops could be planted until the following spring the family subsisted on provisions bought from 
the sale of butter tubs and barrels which the father and sons hewed from timber standing near the cabin door, their 
home being situated in the midst of a forest. They hauled the tubs to Eureka on hand sleds, the distance being three 
miles, and in that way obtained the money which bought them food and clothing during their first winter in Winnebago 
County, They could have but little intercourse with the outside world at that time for means of travel were very 
imperfect and postage on a letter was twenty-five cents.

Amid such surroundings our subject was reared to manhood. In his younger days, for a period of about twelve years, he 
devoted the greater part of his time to coopering but when his father became disabled for work by rheumatism he took 
charge of the home farm and provided and cared for his parents. He chose for himself a helpmate in 1860, being joined 
in wedlock with Miss Mary M. Bills, on the 1st of December of that year. Her parents were Jason and Susan (Cork) Bills. 
Her father was born in Vermont in 1820, became one of the early settlers of the town of Aurora and is still living at 
this writing. The mother who was born in England in 1821, died on the 28th of June, 1884, at the age of sixty-three 
years. They were parents of six children and the family circle still remains unbroken. Lucy J., is now the wife of 
Charles Shead, of Clark County, S. D.; Julia is the wife of Robert Tennant, aw miller of Waupaca County; Dulcina is the 
wife of George Tarrant, a shoemaker of Berlin, Wis.; Edward C. is engaged in farming on section 12, in the town of 
Aurora; and Josephine is the wife of George McIntyre, a commercial traveler in the employ of Campbell & Co., owners of 
the Marble Works of Berlin. Mrs. Shead is the third in order of birth, having been born in Oswego County, N. Y., Feb. 
21, 1844. She came to this county when six years of age and remained at home until 1860, when at the age of seventeen 
years she became the wife of Mr. Shead, by whom she has three children-Jason W., who was born Jan. 27, 1863, and is 
now engaged in farming in Clark County, S. D.; Agnes L., who was born Dec. 28, 1870, and died in 1877; and Storr B., 
born April 6, 1879. He is now attending school and still makes his home with his parents.

In political sentiment Mr. Shead is a Republican and takes an active interest in the success and welfare of that party. 
He is now serving as Side Supervisor of his town and is one of its representative citizens. Socially he is a member of 
John H. Williams Post, No. 4, G. A. R. of Berlin, having served his country as a member of Company B, of the 19th 
Regiment Wisconsin Infantry. Respected by all who know him and regarded as one of the prominent citizens of the 
community he well deserves a representation in this volume and it is with pleasure we record his sketch.







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