HISTORY OF WOOD COUNTY



ployed by the Henry Sherry Co., composed of Henry Sherry, George Gerry and
James W. Cameron, three of the best known lumbermen in the pioneer days in
this section of the country. The towns of Sherry and Cameron in this county
(Wood) are named after two of these lumbermen. In 1887, George Gerry sold
his
interest in the company to the two other partners, and the company was re-organ-
ized and incorporated as The Sherry-Cameron Company, Charles F. Kellogg be-
coming a stockholder and elected as secretary of the new corporation, in
which
capacity he served until Jan. 1, 1893, when he disposed of his interests
and came
to Grand Rapids to enter the wholesale and retail lumber business, with his
brother
William F. Kellogg, John Daly and Henry Sampson, which was incorporated as
the Centralia Lumber Company. In 1899, Charles F. and William F. Kellogg
bought out the interests of the other stockholders and in 1901 the corporate
name
was changed to the Kellogg Bros. Lumber Company. This company owns and
operates two retail yards in this city, and ten branch yards in this vicinity.
Mr.
Kellogg was married Sept. 24, 1879, to Jennie E. Cutting, of Racine, Wis.,
daughter
of Shepard D. Cutting and Mary (Pullman) Cutting. They have four children:
Elbert C., vice president of the Kellogg Bros. Lumber Company, and manager
of
its Nekoosa yard; Edgar F., bookkeeper for the same company at its main office,
Wisconsin Rapids; Georgia, wife of Elmer A. Hannon, of Waupaca, Wis., and
Katherine, widow of the late Warren G. Fisher. Mr. Kellogg has nine grand-
children and claims that they are the healthiest, handsomest bunch of kids
in the
county. A Democrat in politics, but an ardent worker and supporter of good
government under any party name. He is president of the Chamber of Commerce
of Wisconsin Rapids, a Rotarian, an Elk, and a 32nd degree Mason. Is a willing
contributor to all civic improvements and benevolent institutions.
   John Roberts, a prominent attorney of the Wood County Bar, who has served
as district attorney, and filled other offices of public trust, and has taken
an active
and useful part in local government and civic improvement in Wisconsin Rapids,
was born near Randolph, Dodge County, Wis., Feb. 8, 1881, son of Richard
S.
and Fannie C. (Jones) Roberts. His paternal grandfather, Samuel Roberts,
native
of Wales, was an early settler and pioneer fanner in Columbia County, Wis.,
in
1848 taking a homestead a few miles from the site of the city of Columbus,
Wis.
It was then a tract of wild land which has since developed into splendid
farm land
and now comprises what is widely known as the Welsh settlement. It was on
this
farm that Richard S., the father of the subject of this sketch was born,
and he
spent his early years in that locality. As already intimated, he married
Fannie
C. Jones who was also born in Wales, of a family of considerable prominence
in
the Welsh ministry, and who came to this country when a girl. They were mar-
ried at Columbus, Wis. After a few years work Richard S. Roberts gave up
his
farm work and took up railroad work at a time when railroad work was just
open-
ing up in that locality. He and his family moved to Portage, Wis., where
he made
his home for many years, during all that time being employed as railroad
conductor,
and where the children received their preliminary education. Richard S. Roberts
died in 1902. His widow and family then moved to Columbus, Wis., where she
resided for several years, later moving to Stevens Point, Wis., where she
now re-
sides. They were the parents of five children: Margaret K., who has made
a
name for herself in educational work and is now professor of history in the
State
Normal School at Bellingham, Wash.; John, the subject of this sketch; Mary,
re-
siding at Stevens Point, Wis.; Frances, a high school teacher in Idaho; and
Edward,
who died in infancy. John Roberts, after completing the grammar school course,
pursued his high school studies at Portage, Wis., where he was graduated
in 1900.
Then followed a period of about four years during which time he was engaged
in
office, railroad, and school teaching work, after which he resumed his work
as a
student and was graduated from the Milwaukee Normal School in 1906. In his
senior year at Milwaukee Normal he was closer of the winning joint debate
team
in the annual debate with Platteville Normal School. From 1906 to 1909 he
was
principal of schools at Gratiot, Wis., during which period he studied law
at the
College of Law at the University of Wisconsin during the summer months. In



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