ELISHA PHILBROOK

ELISHA PHILBROOK⁷ (Jeremiah⁶, Job⁵, Jonathan⁴, William³, Thomas², Thomas¹), 1802-1883, teacher, surveyor and genealogist, was the twelfth child of Jeremiah and his wife Sarah, b. in Vinalhaven, Waldo Co., Me., 6 Oct., 1802. His youth was spent on the farm and in the fisheries summers, and in the district school winters. At the age of 18 he entered Buckfield Academy, and at 19 commenced teaching, which became his occupation most of the time for fifty years. During the first few years, when not teaching, he devoted much time to study, giving some attention to the study of Latin, but more to mathematics, natural philosophy, and at length he became greatly interested in phonography and the reform of spelling. In 1833 he visited the West, teaching in Ohio and in Kentucky. After nearly four years, he returned to his native place, and joined his old friends in their fishing voyages, teaching some at other seasons. Early in the winter of 1838-9, having bid farewell to the friends of his youth, he set sail for the South, intending to go via New York, but the vessel was driven to sea by a storm, and he landed at Charleston, S. C. From this place he sailed in a packet to New Orleans, whence he proceeded by steamboat to Vicksburg, Miss. In this vicinity he made his home, teaching for 16 years, sometimes in Arkansas. During his summer vacations he visited the Northwestern States several times, and in 1855 removed to Wisconsin, where his brother William and other relatives had settled. In 1879 he was secretary of the Wisconsin Phonetic Association.

In 1873 he published "A Scheme for a Revised Spelling of the English Language" &c. In 1878 he was a member of the American Metric Bureau. Several times he was tempted to engage in other occupations, but soon turned back to his old business of teaching. From 1877 to 1879 he was a clerk of the District in Knowlton, Wis., where he owned lands. It seems he did not commence his genealogical studies till about 1850. After 15 years of labor in this field, he for a while suspended work in discouragement, but resumed it again a few years before his death. He collected records for a Genealogy of the Vaughan Family that settled in Providence, R. I., and was preserving materials for a History of Marathon Co., Wis.

In 1820, at the age of 18, he with his brother Ezekiel, joined the Methodist church in their native place. In Dec., 1857, he was a member of the Baptist Church of Oxford, Marquette Co., Wisconsin. He d. at Mosinee, Marathon Co., Wis., 1 Nov 1883, ae. 81. Of the particulars of his last days I have not been informed. C.P.
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