----Source: GREENWOOD GLEANER (Greenwood, Wis.) 03/09/1911

Mead, William H. (19 NOV 1833 - 6 Mar 1911)

W. H. Mead died at his home two and one-half miles west of Withee, Clark County, Wis., Monday evening at 8:30; death caused by pneumonia. His illness was of short duration, having gone to bed only a week before with an attack of the grip, which later brought on pneumonia. Funeral services will be held in the M.W.A. Hall in this city next Friday afternoon at two o’clock under the auspices of the Masonic Order, of which he was a member. In our next issue we will give the history of his life, a life that has characterized many hardships when the white race first trespassed on the soil of northern Clark County.

(Follow on Obit in 3/16/1911 Greenwood Gleaner)

W. Harrison Mead, familiarly known as "Harry", was born in Dutchess Co., N.Y. Nov. 19th, 1833, being the eldest of a family of ten children. When twelve years of age he, with his parents, immigrated to Jefferson Co., Wis., and settled near Watertown, where he attended school a short time in winter and worked on the farm in summer. During the last year of the Civil War he was in the employ of the Federal Government, engaged in putting up telegraph lines in Western Virginia.

Mr. Mead was married to Miss Julia A. Smith. To this union seven children were bron: Frank A., Clara, Helen, Harry, Angus, Philo and Hugh, who died in infancy. Helen, nee Mrs. Ed Bishop, is also dead. In 1865 Mr. Mead came to Clark County, Wis. and settled in the town of Warner. At that time there was not a turnpike in Clark County and only three farms opened between his place and Neillsville. There was no settlement at Greenwood, and Neillsville only had two hundred inhabitants. The writer has often heard him tell of his walking to Neillsville and carrying salt pork and other provisions home on his back.

Mr. Mead at one time owned nearly 2000 acres of land in Clark County and logged extensively on Black and Chippewa Rivers. He was chairman of the town of Warner for many years and for several years chairman of the county board, he was generous to a fault, never refusing succor to those in need, and did much for development of northern Clark County. Many testimonies of his kindness and generosity are told by the early settlers to whom he extended a helping hand.

Mr. Mead was buried under the auspices of the Masons, of which lodge he had been a member for many years. The Pallbearers were G. B. Andrews of Longwood, Chas. Carlton of Tioga, H.A. Bright of Bright, E. Bowen, John Nichol and Robt. Schofield of Greenwood. The funeral sermon was preached by Rev. Cook of Owen, Wis., to a concourse of friends who had gathered to pay their last tribute of respect. The remains were laid to rest in the Greenwood Cemetery.