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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
HISTORY OF
BUFFALO AND PEPIN COUNTIES, WISCONSIN
Compiled by
Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
VOLUME II
- ILLUSTRATED -
Published:
Winona, Minn.
H. C. Cooper, Jr., & Co.
1919
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ALFRED BILES,
who is at present time holding the
responsible position of county treasurer of
Pepin county, has also served in other
important offices, and is also proprietor of
an excellent farm of 280 acres in Frankfort
township, Pepin county. He was born in
this township, Dec. 23, 1871, son of
Thomas and Olivia (Sproul) Biles, his
parents being pioneer settlers in this
locality. In his boyhood he attended
school in this township and was trained to
agricultural pursuits on the home farm.
At the age of 23 years he began farming for
himself, buying 40 acres in section 8, and
since then he has added to his landed
property until he now owns 280 acres of
fertile land, his place being well equipped
with large and substantial buildings and
up-to-date machinery. As a general
farmer Mr. Biles is meeting with
great success and reaping good financial
returns on his investment. His
principal stock consists of Durham cattle,
Poland-China hogs and Oxford sheep, while
both for his stock and crops he finds a
quick and profitable market. As a good
citizen, interested in local enterprises he
is a shareholder in the Farmers' Telephone
Company. In politics a Republican, he
has for a number of years taken an active
part in the affairs of local government.
His public service includes several years on
the town board of Frankfort township, four
years as clerk of the circuit court, and his
present incumbency of the office of county
treasurer, to which he was elected in
November, 1916. As a public official
Mr. Biles has proved his efficiency
and trustworthiness, giving to his public
duties that close attention and
conscientious effort that have proved potent
factors in his successful career as an
agriculturist, and has won the approval and
commendation of his fellow citizens.
Mr. Biles was married Apr. 5, 1904,
to Mary Olson, who was born in
Frankfort township, Feb. 8, 1874, daughter
of Andrew and Carrie (Anderson) Olson.
Her mother, born in 1837, died in 1915,
their lives being thus almost of equal
length. Mrs. Biles acquired her
elementary education in Frankfort township,
and later attended the River Falls Normal
School, from which she was graduated in
1900. She subsequently taught school
for a number of years in Dunn, Pierce and
Pepin counties, after which she served four
years as superintendent of schools for Pepin
county, making a very creditable record for
efficiency. Mr. and Mrs. Biles
are the parents of one child, Sehrman
who was born Dec. 25, 1904. They
occupy a high place in the social life of
the community in which they live.
Mr. Biles is fraternally affiliated with
the camp of Modern Woodmen at Frankfort and
his wife with the lodge of Royal Neighbors.
Source: History of Buffalo and Pepin
Counties, Wisconsin, Vol. II - Illustrated -
Publ. by H. C. Cooper, Jr., & Co. - 1919 -
Page 714 |
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THOMAS
BILES, one of the earliest pioneer
settlers of Pepin township,
Pepin county,
was born at Mechanicstown, Carroll county,
Ohio, May 9, 1828. His father,
Ninyon Biles, was a native of
Germany, and his mother, Maria (Peckham)
Biles, was of Scotch descent.
Thomas was one of a family of ten
children, and when thirteen years of age
accompanied his parents to Lee county, Iowa.
At eighteen he left home and came to
Wisconsin, where he worked in the pineries.
In 1848 he began working on a farm in Pepin
township, Pepin county, and was thus
occupied for several years, during which
time he turned up with his plow tools and
bars of metal which had probably been used
by a gang of counterfeiters who operated in
this section at an early day; hence the name
of this stream, Bogus Creek. In 1862
Mr. Biles removed to Pierce
county, Wisconsin, and thence, in 1867, to
Fremont county, Iowa. In 1871 he
returned to Wisconsin and settled on a
homestead on Porcupine Creek, Frankfort
township, Pepin county. The valley was
then so overgrown with shrubbery that he was
obliged to follow a deer path on his hands
and knees for some distance. In time
he developed a well improved farm of 160
acres, where he gave his time to grain and
stock raising, taking little active part in
public
affairs. He died Apr. 10, 1911, aged
82 years, 11 months and one day. Mr.
Biles was married Nov. 11, 1857, to
Olivia Sproul, who was born
Aug. 13, 1833, and died Feb. 26, 1915,
having survived him less than four years.
They were the parents of 11 children, of
whom seven are now living, the complete
record being as follows: Sarah J.,
born Sept. 22, 1858, who married L. J.
Kinney; George R., born Apr. 6,
1860, who is a merchant at Porcupine, Pepin
county, Wisconsin; Margaret, born
Apr. 29, 1862, who married J. F. Warren,
of Montana; Mary Ann, born
Apr. 8, 1864, who died Mar. 20, 1865;
Walter, born April 28, 1865, who is a
merchant at Durand; John T., born
Feb. 17, 1867, who died Mar. 14, 1867;
Homer, born Mar. 7, 1868, who died Aug.
30, 1868; Albert, born Apr. 10, 1870,
who died Oct. 7, 1870; Alfred, born
Dec. 23, 1871, who is a prosperous general
farmer in Frankfort township, Pepin county;
Francis, born Dec. 7, 1876, who
resides in Durand, and Lottie, born
Sept. 20, 1879, who is now Mrs. W. H.
Shaw, of Arkansaw, Pepin county.
Source: History of Buffalo and Pepin
Counties, Wisconsin, Vol. II - Illustrated -
Publ. by H. C. Cooper, Jr., & Co. - 1919 -
Page 713 |
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