HISTORY OF WOOD COUNTY



country. The father was engaged in common labor, working much of the time
on
farms, and was thus occupied until 1884. Then, desiring to better his condition
and make a new home for himself and family, he came alone to the United States
and found what he was looking for in Wood County, Wisconsin. During his first
year here he worked at common labor; then in 1885 he bought 40 acres of wild
land
in Section 2, Seneca Township, and in the same year was joined by his wife
and
children. In the meanwhile he had erected a house and a log barn, and he
now
proceeded to improve his farm as he found opportunity, for, his capital being
very
limited, he had to work some time for others. In time he cleared the entire
40 and
carried on a dairy farming business successfully until his death on Jan.
14, 1908.
His wife died Nov. 18, 1917. Their children were Anton, Elizabeth, John,
Al-
drich and Mary. Elizabeth is deceased; John is a farmer in Seneca Township,
as
also is Aldrich, and Mary is now Mrs. Adam Kundert of Hansen Township. Anton
Arnold, who had attended school in Switzerland, was 13 years old when he
arrived
in Wood County with his mother in May, 1885. For the next ten years he was
employed in helping his father, and then, in 1895, he settled on a 55-acre
farm which
he and his brother John had previously purchased. He now bought John out
and
later, buying an additional 40 acres, found himself in possession of a 95-acre
farm,
located in Sections 2 and 3, Seneca Township. The house not being in good
shape,
he rebuilt it and also erected an adequate barn and outbuildings. Since beginning
to make improvements on his place he has cleared 65 acres. He is engaged
in
general farming and dairying, keeping mixed Holstein cattle, with some of
pure
breed, and has achieved a gratifying degree of success. Like others, he has
suf-
fered occasionally from hard times, but has made satisfactory profits in
the good
years. As a citizen of good business capacity, one whose work has helped
to in-
crease the general wealth of the community, he became prominent years ago,
and
at different times was requested to assume the responsibilities of public
office.
Thus he served seven years as side supervisor of his township, and was a
director
for three years of School District No. 4. He also helped to build roads,
was in-
strumental in persuading new settlers to locate here, and in general worked
hard
for the good of his township and county. On Jan. 13, 1896, Mr. Arnold was
mar-
ried at Altdorf, Seneca Township, to Anna Walker, who was born in Switzerland,
June 16, 1872, daughter of Joseph and Pauline (Walker) Walker. Her father
died
in Switzerland Feb. 6, 1883, but her mother is still living there. As Miss
Anna
Walker, Mrs. Arnold came to America in 1885 and resided with friends until
her
marriage. This marriage has resulted in 11 children: Carl, Bertha, Herman,
Anton, Anna, Clara, Joseph, Josephine, George, Louis and Leona. Carl is em-
ployed in the paper mill at Port Edwards; Bertha is the wife of William Wintlyn
of Vesper, Wis.; Herman is working for the Rood Construction Co. at Payne,
Minn.; and Anton, Jr., resides in Port Edwards. The others are living on
the
home farm.
   John Herman Scholten, who is operating a farm which he built up from wild
land in Hansen Township, was born in Winterswyk, Province of Gelderland,
Hol-
land, Jan. 10, 1864, son of Levert and Frederica (Mellenk) Scholten. The
parents
were natives of Holland and spent all their lives in that country, being
engaged in
farming there; they had five children, of whom one is now deceased, and three-
John, Henry and Dick-are living in Holland, the other being the subject of
this
sketch. John H. Scholten was raised in Holland and attended school and worked
on farms there until 1912, when he came to the United States and settled
in this
county, buying 72 acres in Section 1, Hansen Township. This tract was covered
with stumps and had only a small house by way of buildings. Mr. Scholten
has
cleared 50 acres of the land and improved the equipment, building a 40 by
60 foot
barn in 1914; he has now brought the property to a point where it can be
operated
along modern lines, and he is very successfully carrying on mixed farming
and
dairying, having a herd of 17 Holstein cattle of a good grade and milking
11 cows.
Mr. Scholten was married in Holland in 1887 to BeKdena Beskers, daughter
of John
and Bernadine Beskers. Mrs. Scholten's parents were both born in Holland
and
spent all their lives in that country; they had six children, Henry, John,
William,



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