History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties

"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

Hamlin, James Harvey head of the Lincoln Abstract Co. of Merrill, Lincoln County, and formerly county superintendent of schools, was born at Mt. Morris, Waushara County, Wis., Nov. 30, 1875, son of George H. and Jane F. (LILLY) HAMLIN. The father, who was born in Maine, when a young man left that state and accompanied his parents to Wisconsin, the family settling in Waushara County, where George's father, in addition to farming, followed his trade of carpenter. In 1861 George H. HAMLIN enlisted in the Eighth Wisconsin Battery, with which he served three years and nine months, taking part in some notable engagements, among them Murfreesboro and Stone River. After being honorably discharged from the army he returned to Waushara County, Wisconsin, and from there in 1878 he moved to a farm near Tomah, Monroe County. In 1883 he came with his family to Merrill, making the journey with wagon and team and bringing five horses with him, with which he did general teaming, both in town and in the woods, as well as for sawmills. At that time in the west end of Merrill, where they had their home, the stumps were still standing in the main street, and the settlement had a very crude and primitive appearance. During those early days Mrs. HAMLIN kept boarders and worked hard to help support the family. She is still living and makes her home with her son, James H., her husband having passed away in 1920. Mr. and Mrs. George H. HAMLIN had a family of nine children, two of whom, Elsie and Hettie, are now deceased. The survivors are: Jennie, wife of Charles WENZEL, a lumberman of Barron, Wis.; Maude, who is Mrs. L. W. CLINE of Seattle, Wash,; Emory and Charles who are engaged in the fruit raising business in the Wenatchee Valley, in the state of Washington; Mertyn, residing in Trenton, N. J.; and Irving and James H. of Merrill, Wis. James Harvey HAMLIN, who was an infant when his parents moved to Monroe County, subsequently attended school there for three years, and later, after coming with them to Merrill, attended both common and high school here, being graduated from the latter at the age of 16 years. When 17 he began teaching school, an occupation that he followed for eight years, being successively teacher and principal of grade schools and during two summers of that period attending Dixon College, whereby he secured a life state teacher's certificate. In 1899 he was appointed superintendent of schools for Lincoln County, in which office he continued by election for 15 1/2 years. After that he was engaged in the abstract business for five years, being associated with H. J. BOWELL, during which time he devoted sufficient time to teacher to enable him to secure a certificate showing 25 years' service as teacher. He then bought out the Lincoln County Abstract Co. and has since continued in that business, adding to it real estate and insurance. He is at present secretary-treasurer of the Lincoln County Real Estate Brokers' Association. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America, the Odd Fellows and the Fraternal Reserve Association having held various official positions in each. He has taken an active interest in civic and county affairs generally, especially those of an educational trend and has been honored with the presidency of the County Superindents' Association of Wisconsin, as well as being recognized in an official capacity in religious activities of various kinds. Mr. HAMLIN was married in Merrill, June 1, 1904, to Alta TARR, daughter of David D. and Sadie (CLARK) TARR, who were natives of Maine. Her father fought for the Union in the Civil War, and the family subsequently coming to Merrill, Wis., he was for some time superintendent for the Merrill Boom Co. He is still living but his wife has passed away. Mr. and Mrs. HAMLIN are the parents of two children: Edmund, born Feb. 27, 1905, now a student in the University of Wisconsin, and Lorraine, born Nov. 27, 1915. In the early days of his life, Mr. HAMLIN engaged in all the usual activities of a new and undeveloped county. The short school year both as student and teacher was rounded out with several months of service in the mills and in the forest, cruising with surveyors and estimators and the rather meager salary of the time was reinforced and supplemented with notarial duties and assisting or holding the office of town clerk or assessor in communities where regularly employed as teacher or principal of schools.

Transcribed by Susan Swanson, from pages 618-619; History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties Wisconsin; Compiled by George O. Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others 1924, H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co

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