Borden Family

Ebenezer Borden was a logger living in Jackson County in 1849. Whether he had gotten this far north and had his eye on the sugar maples which he later owned can be a possibility. Many of the early settlers had the keen §ense of a homing pigeon to find their way through, the dense forest and return safely.

Borden was born in 1829 in the Green, Mountain section of Vermont. When he was 25 years old he came to Dodge County, Wisconsin, and stayed about one year. He married Catherine Hallook, a-- Canadian in Jackson County in 1856.

In 1858 he moved to section 21, Town of Loyal, Clark County, where he went into the maple sugar business. The price was six cents a pound at that time. He, with some other men tapped some 800 trees and the boiling pot, in the woods. Borden got his supplies from LaCrosse by carrying them home on his back.

To make good his title for the homestead land, he built an eight room house. Of the eleven children, two remained in the area, one later owning the farm, and the other living across the road.

The oldest child, William, married Eleanor Hallock. The others were Wyatt; Mrs. Charles (Ruth) Smith who moved to South Dakota; Hubert; Norman; Mrs. Jason (Marian) Cook; Mrs. Frank, (Mira) Nichols who moved to Montana; Mrs. Fred (Edna) Vickery; Watson and Lillian both died in infancy; and Mrs. Albert (Florence) Cowles.

Wyatt Borden worked with his father until the age of 21 when he took up a homestead in Brown County, South Dakota, and lived there for seven years. Much of his time was spent at an Indian reservation and fort carring dispatches and guarding to keep the Indians on the reservation. Later he returned to the homestead of his father and continued the maple sugar industry making as much as 2,000 pounds a year. He also raised cattle and sheep.

The elder Borden's lived to celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary. He died in 1913 and she in 1912. Ebenezer had taken time out to serve his country as a private in Company I of the Third Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War.

Wyatt never married and willed the farm to his nephew, Elwin Cook, who owned it until his death. Since then the farm has been owned by his son, Russell Cook. This is the only land which has remained in the same family since the beginning of the township. It is recognized as a "Century Farm."

Marion Borden lived across the road from her parents after her marriage to Jason Cook. They raised four children. Belle moved to Montana after her marriage to John Mengel. Elsie married William Wooden. Price took Frances Miles as his bride and went to North Dakota to live.

Elwin was married to Katy Miles and raised two children. She is living in the village of Loyal in the house once owned by Marion Cook. Their daughter, Mrs. Marvin (Wanda) West lives in Madison. The son, Russell and his wife, the former Loretta Mattheisen, live on the homestead with their five children, Randy Lee, Karen Marie, Diane Kay, Lori Ann, and Roger Allen.

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Responses

Re: Bio: Borden, Ebenezer & Catherine (Hallook)

Contact: Charles Wayne Cook

Jason and Marian Cook did they have a son Price Claude Cook born Feb.1892? Married Francis Miles 1912 Loyal Wisconcin ,their children, {not sure about order} William, Watson, Miles, Kenneth,Price{Jr.},Jack,and Lillian {married Johnson. I think there was another boy can"t remember right now.  If I am on the right track Please Email me back. looking up my family tree so many cook"s not sure ! Thanks ,Charles Cook