HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY. 
 
twice married. His first wife was Mary Bryant, 
a daughter of Jesse Bryant.  His second and 
present wife was Mrs. Mary A. Crosby, a daugh- 
ter of Elder Decker, of Newark, Rock county, 
and the widow of Haskell Crosby. Mr. Day has 
six children by his first wife-Albert L., a phy- 
sician located at Postville, in the town of York; 
Edwin R., living near Lemars, Iowa; Lewis E., 
in Nebraska; Rosella, widow of Francis Grin- 
nell; Nellie, wife of E. A. Lynn; and Willie B., 
near Lemars, Iowa. His youngest son died in 
1880. Mrs. Day has seven children, five daugh- 
ters and two sons, by her former marriage 
Martha, Angelia, wife of A. E. Hall; Ella, wife 
of F. E. Darling; Emma, wife of R. E. Hoyt, 
Erwin C., Hattie and Harvey. 
E. R. Sprague, Esq., the present police justice 
of Brodhead, is a native of Cattaraugus Co., 
N. Y., born in 1830. He received a good com- 
mon school education. In 1846 he came with 
his parents to Rock county, and in the winter of 
1847 engaged in teaching school in the town of 
Spring Valley.   He followed teaching and 
farming for a number of years in Rock county. 
In November, 1854, he came to Clarence, in this 
county, and taught a number of terms. He 
was well known as a successful teacher, for 
many years, and there are many men and women 
in Green and Rock counties who have reached or 
passed-the meridian of life, who' received the 
benefit of his instruction. After taking up his 
residence in Green county, he was absent for a 
number of years. He went to Menomonee, 
in Dunn Co., Wis., where he was engaged 
in the   construction  of the  extensive saw 
mill of Knapp, Stout & Co., at that place. 
He remained there three years. He went to 
Orfordville in 1860, and there resided until 1867, 
thence to Evansville, where he was engaged in 
business three years, thence to a farm  near 
Stoughton, Dane county. Two years later he 
came to this county and located at Albany, re- 
maining there a year and a half. He then came 
to Brodhead. He has been a justice of the peace 
for several  years, and superintendent of the 
 
city schools, two years. Mr. Sprague has been 
three times married. His present wife is a na- 
tive of St. Johns, N. B. He has four children 
-Flora May, F. Guy, Alberta, a teacher in the 
graded schools of Brodhead, and Hugh. His 
oldest son is an expert printer, and a compiler of 
city directories, also a step-son, C. W. Murphy, 
a clerk in W. W. Roderick's dry goods store in 
Brodhead for several years. Mr. Sprague is a 
genial gentleman, socially, and well liked for 
his many excellencies of character. 
Joseph Thompson aud wife are engaged in a 
general millinery and fancy goods business in 
Brodhead. They were engaged in the same 
business at Albany, in this county, previous to 
coming to Brodhead. Mr. Thompson was born 
in Canada, in December, 1833, of American 
parents. When. a child he removed with his 
parents to Ohio, and thence to Rockford, Ill. 
He enlisted the first year of the war, Sept. 18, 
1861, in the 8th Illinois Cavalry. He served 
three years in the army, and was discharged 
Oct. 28, 1864. He participated in many im- 
portant battles, including Yorktown, Williams- 
burg, seven days' fight, and retreat of McClel- 
lan, second battle-of Bull Run, South Moun- 
tain, Antietam, Chancellorsville, where ie had a 
horse shot under him and was taken prisoner. 
After remaining three days in the hands of the 
rebels, he succeeded in escaping from his guard 
at midnight and and-reached the Union lines in 
safety. He participated in twenty of the most 
important engagements of the Rebellion, includ- 
ing Gettysburg. After the war he returned to 
Rockford, and thence to Waterloo, Iowa, where 
he lived two years. He came to this county in 
1868, locating at Albany. Mrs. Thompson was 
formerly Charlotte Marson, a native of Notting- 
ham, England. She came to the United States 
in 1847, with her parents, who settled at Roch- 
ester, N. Y., and removed to Ogle Co., Ill., in 
1854, and during the late Rebellion took an ac- 
tive part in woman's work for the Union at 
Washington City, under a government commis- 
sion. 
 
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