Gen. John W. Boyd
John W. Boyd was born in Charlton,
New York in 1811, son of John L. Boyd
aand Ann Logan, and
who had been a prominent community leader, renowned
for his strong religiousand
political convictions and a one-time member of the
legislature of the state of
New York.
John W. Boyd went to Wisconsin
in 1844 where he bought 130 acres of prime
bottom land. He added to the
property during the next twenty years until he
had a farm of 320 acres in
total.
John W. Boyd served as board
member Linn, WI, County State Rep (1846) and
helped draft the State's constitution,
he was a democratic member of the
senate in 1848 and changing
parties became a republican senator in 1857.
He was always known as General
John W. Boyd when Governor Dodge appointed
him Major General of the third
Division of the Wisconsin Militia. In 1876 he
was nominated for candidate
for the US House and missed nomination by one
vote.
He was a longstanding elder
in the Congregational Church, a Sunday school
teacher, and a member of the
Sons of Temperence. He was a founder of Lake
Geneva Seminary. He was also
a long standing member of the School Board.
He was married three times;
the 1st wife died after a year of marriage, the
second wife died in 1855 leaving
three daughters, Julia, Helen and Carrie
who were sent back east to
be raised. Third marriage was to Persis A. Buell a
widow, by whom he had three
more daughters, Louise, Alice, and Florence. Of
the latter three girls only
Louise married. In 1899 she married Nathan Dickinson.
(The article didn't mention
the names of the first three daughters).
John W. Boyd died at the age of 81 in 1892.
The original Boyd home is still
owned by the family (more than 130 years)
and is now a Bed and Breakfast.
It is known as Gen. Boyd's Bed & Breakfast and
is in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
This article appeared in the
Walworth County, Wisconsin newspaper.
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JOHN W. BOYD - NY to WI
JOHN W. BOYD was born in Charlton,
Saratoga County, New York, 15 Sep
1811. He was the son of JOHN
L. BOYD, of Solon, Cortland County, in that
state. He received a common
school and academic education, and spent his
early life in Cortland County,
till 1844, devoted to farming, excepting
four years, in which he was
engaged in mercantile business, at
Cincinnati, in that county.
He settled in Wisconsin, at Geneva, Walworth
County, in 1844, where he
has ever since resided; and has devoted
himself to agricultural pursuits.
In 1846, he was elected as a
representative from the county
of Walworth, to the first Constitutional
Convention, and served on
the committee on the executive of the state.
He ranked among the substantial
members of that body, exercising at all
times, a remarkable degree
of common sense, a practical knowledge of
affairs, and giving constant
attention to duties, rendered him a man of
large influence in shaping
the organic law of the state. He was not what
might be termed a speech-maker,
but he expressed himself on many
questions in a very clear
manner, showing that he fully understood the
subjects under consideration.
Few men were more popular with his
fellows, than was GENERAL
BOYD. Mr. BOYD was commissioned as major
general of the militia of
the territory, by Governor Dodge. After the
state government was formed,
General BOYD was elected to the first state
senate, and served during
the sessions of 1848 and 1849. He was again
elected in 1858, as a state
senator for the term of two years. He
rendered valuable service
in this body, and was esteemed as an able,
conscientious and influential
member of the highest branch of the
legistlative department. Being
a man of retiring habits, he has shrunk
from prominent official positions,
though his name has been frequently
mentioned in connection with
the chief magistracy of the state; not,
however, through any movement
or desire of his own, but through the
partiality of friends who
knew his great worth. In his own town, he has
ever occupied a prominent
position, honored and respected by all who
knew him. For some fifteen
years, between 1860 and 1876, General BOYD
was a member of the board
of directors of the Madison Mutual Insurance
Company, and was most of that
time president of the company. He was a
very able and faithful officer,
discharging every duty with marked
fidelity. General BOYD has
been twice married, 10 Nov 1842, to WEALTHY
H. HATHAWAY, of Solon, New
York; and again 09 Sep 1858, to PERSIS A.
BUELL, of Linn, Wisconsin.
It is fortunate for any new country to have
men like General BOYD settle
in it. Wisconsin has been largely benefited
from his counsel and labors
in its behalf. His record is a worthy one;
every act of his life has
been based upon principles of right; his
charecter has been exceptionally
pure and honest; to deal out equal and
exact justice to all mankind
has been his rule of action, and most nobly
has he lived up to that rule.
At the age of sixty-nine, General BOYD is
full of vigor; and has every
prospect of being spared yet many years to
bless his people. His life
has been an honor to his race, and is worthy
of imitation by all. Without
enemies, he is enjoying the sweets of old
age, that a well spent life
is sure to bring, honored and respected by
all who know him.
Source: Memorial Record of
the Fathers of WI, Tenney & Atwood, 1880,
pp 47-48
Thanks to Karen from Ohio, USA