Contributed to the Pierce County WIGenWeb Project by Nance
Sampson nsampson@spacestar.net
@2000 by Nance Sampson

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ELIAS R. CONDIT, merchant and farmer, Rock Elm, was born in
Mont Clair, Essex county, N. J., May 18, 1833.  His great-great-
grandfather, John Condit, was a native of England, of Norman descent, and
immigrated to
America in 1678.  His first wife, Catherine Barton, was a niece of Sir
Isaac Newton.  Our subject's grandfather and great-grandfather were each named
Peter.  His father, William Dodd Condit, was born at Orange, N. J., April
14, 1811, and died at Rock Elm, June 14, 1891.  William D. Condit married
Margaret Hagar, a native of Connecticut, whose family came originally from
Holland.  Their children were:  Elias R., Mary E. (Mrs. C. A. Ackerman),
Theodore D., Edward O. (died in the United States service), Frances A. (Mrs.
H. Tousley), Harriet D. (Mrs. J. C. Anderson), Jesse M., Charles H., Sarah
L. (Mrs. S. Cook), Clarence A. and Cora A. (Mrs. F. Gilmore).  Mr. and Mrs.
W. D. Condit came to Wisconsin in 1850 and to Rock Elm township in 1867. 
They will long be remembered among the worthy pioneers of this place. Mrs.
Condit died  there September 12, 1884. Mr. Condit was an old-line
abolitionist.  He voted for William Henry Harrison, also for Benjamin Harrison, and
at
each intermediate presidential election.
	
Elias R. received but little schooling in his youth.  At the
age of thirteen years he began clerking in a jewelry store at Mount Morris, N.
Y.  In 1850 he came with his parents to Hartford, Washington county, Wis., and
worked on a farm.  In 1857 he engaged in keeping a hotel at Rubicon, Wis. 
In 1867 he removed to Rock Elm township, Pierce county, and purchased 240
acres of wild land, upon which he now resides.  At that time game was very
plentiful, deer often coming within a few rods of the house. Mr. Condit has
bought and shipped many tons of venison from Rock Elm.  Upon one occasion
Mr. C. A. Hawn was passing through the woods near Mr. Condit's farm and
encountered a bear stealing a pig.  Upon his arrival Bruin dropped the pig
and threatened to attack Mr. Hawn, who, being unarmed, shouted lustily for
help, and finally succeeded in driving off the bear.  Hearing the noise, Mr.
Condit ran to the rescue and although he found no bear, he found a man badly
frightened.  Soon after coming to Rock Elm Mr. Condit opened a general store
which he still carries on in partnership with his son William.  March 27,
1857, he married Carolina Farmer, and six children blessed this union, namely:
Emmaret (Mrs. Burges), Wesley, William, Alice, Ida and Rena.  Mrs. Condit
died October 16, 1889.  Mr. Condit is a republican.  He has filled the offices
of postmaster and chairman of the town board.  He is also a member of the
Masonic and I. O. O. F. fraternities.

--Taken from the "Historical and Biographical Album of the
Chippewa Valley Wisconsin Including A General Historical Sketch of the Chippewa
Valley; Ancestral Records fo Leading Families; Biographies of
Representative Citizens, Past and Present; and Portraits of Prominent Men.  Edited by
George Forrester. Published in Chicago, Illinois by A. Warner. Publisher. 1891-2.
Pages 595-596