Bio: Marden, William H. (1845 - 1912)

Contact: Janet Schwarze

Surnames: MARDEN WILLIAMS RISER

----Source: 1891 History of Clark and Jackson Co., Wisconsin, pg. 361-362

WILLIAM H. MARDEN, the hunter, residing on section 2, Weston Township, Clark County, was born in Upper Canada, fifty miles from Quebec, March 12, 1845. His father, Joseph A. Marden, was a native of Massachusetts, who came West with his family in 1854, settling in Richland County, where he now lives. His mother, whose name before marriage was Lucy Annis, was also a native of Massachusetts. Of their thirteen children, eleven are still living, namely: Clifton S., Riley, Joseph A., Mary E., Alfred C., William H. (subject), Lorenzo D., Edwin j., Hattie, Alberto L. and Solomn S.

Home of William Henry & Charlotte Marden, Neillsville, Wisconsin

Mr. Marden, the present subject, was brought up on a farm and while a youth learned the blacksmith's trade, following it twelve years. In the late war he served one year in Company K, Second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry was taken prisoner at the battle of Bull Run, and held ten months. He was paroled, exchanged and discharged but he re-enlisted October 1, 1863, in Company A, Thirtieth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and served until September 20, 1865, when he was honorably discharged in Louisville, Kentucky. He was in the battles of Nashville, Shiloh, Baton Rouge, with the Indians elsewhere, etc.

In the fall of 1865 he came to Richland County, this State, but traveled most of the time for a year. November 18, 1866, he married Charlotte Williams, daughter of George D. and Dorcas (Riser) Williams, of Richland. She was born in Marion County, Ohio, September 8, 1846. Her parents had nine children: Olive, Edward, Nancy, Charlotte, Polly, W. Jackson and Caroline. One son, John died a prisoner at Andersonville during the late war. Mr. and Mrs. Marden have had eleven children, ten of whom are living, namely: George H., Mary J., William W., Seymour L., Charles H., Ivy T., Steven A., James L., Cora E. and Benjamin.

Mr. Marden resided in Richland County from the time of his settlement there until he located at his present place in the spring of 1877, excepting three years he spent in Ohio. He settled upon his present farm in the dense forest, entering a claim to 45.84 acres under the homestead laws, which he still owns. In his political views he is a Republican.

His sobriquet of the hunter is well earned, and he has killed 50 deer since his settlement here, and about the same number of bears, the latter of which he catches in traps. He has also killed eleven foxes and twenty-seven wildcats. He killed one deer that dressed over 300 pounds. At present he has a barrel of venison salted down from deer which he killed last fall. The preceding autumn he secured one bear and eleven deer, and in 1888 three bear and nine deer. October 15, 1890, he killed a deer that weighed 200 pounds dressed. Once he killed a lynx that weighed 100 pounds.

Obituary Notice of William Henry Marden.

1880 Federal Census--Weston, Clark, WI

William Marden @40, b. IN, Laborer, Parents b. IN

Wife: Jane @38, b. IN, Keeps House, Parents b. IN

Son: George @12, b. In

Daughter:  Mary @11, b. IN

Other: William Marden @8, b. IN, Parents b. IN

Other: Lesley Marden @6, b. IN, Parents b. IN

Other: Henry Marden @3, b. WI, Parents b. IN

William Henry Marden is also featured in the book, "Civil War Soldiers in the heart of Clark Co., Wisconsin."