"History of Lincoln, Oneida, and Vilas Counties Wisconsin"
Compiled by George O.Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others. Printed in 1924 by H.C.Cooper. Jr. & Co., Minneapoli-Winona MN. ill. 787 pages. The first two hundred pages are history of the three counties, the remainder of the book is biographies.
Biography
Allen, William M. editor and publisher of the Star Advocate of Merrill, Lincoln County, was born at Ellington, Conn., Sept. 11, 1857, son of Chester and Sophia (CARPENTER) ALLEN. On the paternal side he comes of the stock to which Gen. Ethan ALLEN, of Revolutionary War fame, belonged. His parents were born in Connecticut, where the mother, Mrs. Sophia ALLEN, died in 1865. Chester ALLEN subsequently remarried and removed to New York State, and later from there to Lynn, Mass., where he died. They had four children, two of whom are now living: William M. and Lillian, the latter being the widow of Almond A. KEENEY and a resident of Lynn. William M. ALLEN was reared on his parents' farm in Connecticut and attended district school there until about eleven years old. He then left home and worked for one year in a general store, receiving his board and $50 in cash. With that business experience he went to East Aurora, N.Y., and from there to Buffalo, that state, where for a while he was employed in a dry good store. His next employment was in the printing-office of the Aurora Advertiser at East Aurora, N. Y. From there he came west to Owatonna, Minn., and soon after took a homestead in western Minnesota on which he lived until he had proved up on his claim. After doing so he returned to New York State, remaining there three years then returning to Minnesota, and coming to Merrill in 1892. Here he found employment on the News and subsequently on the Advocate, being thus engaged until 1897, when he started a paper of his own called the Merrill Star. Later buying the Advocate, he changed the name of his paper to the Star-Advocate, which he is still publishing as a weekly. It is a bright and newsy sheet with a good subscription list and Mr. Allen has fully demonstrated his ability as a practical journalist. In 1918 he was elected register of deeds for Lincoln County, and being re-elected to that office in 1920 and 1922, is now serving his third term. Mr. ALLEN was married to Mary BALTZLY, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth BALTZLY. Her mother was born in Germany, and her father in France, but they were married in Buffalo, N. Y., Jacob BALTZLY was a blacksmith by trade, though in later life he engaged in mercantile business; he and his wife are both now deceased. They had eight children, seven of whom are now living, namely: Caroline, widow of John RUHLMAN of Niagara Falls, N. Y.; Sophia, wife of Percy NUGENT of the Buffalo Times; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Gust GORTZIG of Buffalo; Emily, who is Mrs. Ernest KEAUSLAU of Buffalo; Mary, wife of William M. ALLEN, of Merrill, Wis.; Jacob of Buffalo and John of Niagara Falls. The one who died was Lena (Mrs. Phillip HALL). Mr. and Mrs. ALLEN have one child, Beautrice, who is the wife of Roderick J. WEBSTER, who is now in charge of the Star-Advocate. She has a son, Allen R. Mrs. ALLEN has served four years as state treasurer and 14 years as secretary of the local branch of the Fraternal Reserve Association; she is also efficiently serving as deputy register of deeds.
Transcribed by Susan Swanson, from pages 592; History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties Wisconsin; Compiled by George O. Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others 1924, H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co
You are our [an error occurred while processing this directive] Visitor --Thanks for Stopping By.
 |
© Copyright: All files on this website are protected by the US Copyright Law, Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, they are not to be copied or altered in any way for commercial use. Individuals may copy the information for their personal use. All persons contributing material for posting on these pages does so in recognition of their free, non-commercial distribution, and further, is responsible to assure that no copyright is violated by their submission. WIGenWeb Vilas and Oneida County Coordinator Judy Groh |
 |