Taplin, William (History

----Source: 1819 History of Clark and Jackson County, Wisconsin, by Franklyn, Curtiss-Wedge

William Wallace Taplin (1845)

William Wallace Taplin, proprietor of the Neillsville Foundry, located on North Hewett street, started the same in the spring of 1881. The size of the building is 24 x 60 and 20 x 90, with two wings for storage. The machinery is run by fifteen-horse-power engine, and the shop is the only one of its kind in the city. His work is shipped through out the State. He does all kinds of work, and has also done most of the plumbing and steam-fitting for the city, employing several men, besides himself, who is a first-class mechanic.

Mr. Taplin was born in Canada, February 14, 1845, the son of Hiram and Lucina (Clifford) Taplin, natives of Canada. The father was the son of Augustus and Polly (Drew) Taplin, natives of Vermont, who in 1890 emigrated to Lower Canada, and subsequently removed to Oshawa , Ontario, where the former died at an advanced age of eighty-nine years. Our subject's parents are still living in Oshawa, Ontario, being at present engaged in the dairy business. They have four children still living: William W., Elgin W., a hardware merchant in Muskoka, Canada, and Oscar H., a farmer residing in Quebec, and Anna Drew, of Riverside, California. William W. was reared in the mills and carriage shops of his father, which business the latter followed until 1865. He was a graduate of the High School of Canada. At the age of eighteen he left his native country and located at Detroit, Michigan, where he was engaged in a saw-mill for a short time. He then went to Lucus County, Ohio, where he engaged in the erection of a mill for the noted Captain E. B. Ward, of Detroit. In the spring of 1864 he visited relatives in Richland County, Wisconsin, returning to Canada. At the close of the war, he removed to Saginaw County, Michigan, and there worked at the milling business six months. He next went to La Fayette, Indiana, and engaged in setting up machinery for manufacturing baskets, visiting several cities, including Cincinnati, putting up machinery for the same business. He returned to Tippecanoe County, Indiana, where he operated a mill for one year. In 1867 he again returned to Canada, being engaged with a A.S. Whiting Manufacturing Company for about one year, after which he came to Chicago. He was there engaged as foreman for the S. I. Russell Company's Shop until the same was destroyed by fire. Mr. Taplin then accepted the agency of the Singer sewing machine of that city, and acted in that capacity till the year 1870.

In the spring of 1870 he returned to Canada, where he was again engaged with the A. S. Whiting Manufacturing Company, remaining there till the spring of 1871, when he engaged with the Chase Bros. Bowman, nurserymen, of Rochester, New York, till the summer of 1872. Returning to Chicago, he followed various occupations until the fall of 1876. Accompanied by two other mechanics, he went to Port Washington, Wisconsin, where they were engaged in the manufacture of sewing machines, which business proved a failure. The following year they went to Fredonia, Wisconsin, where they rented and operated a foundry till 1881, after which Mr. Taplin went to Neillsville, where he is still engaged in the same business. He held the office of Alderman of the First Ward three years, and is one of the prominent businessmen in Neillsville.

He has a family of four children, viz: May, Frank, William and Neil, all of whom are attending school. Politically Mr. Taplin affiliates with the Republican Party.

1880 Federal Census--Fredonia, Ozaukee, Wisconsin
Name	Relation	Marital	Sex	Color	Birth Year	Birthplace	Occupation	Father Born	Mother Born
William W. Taplin	Head	Married	Male	White	35	Canada	Machinest	Vermont	Vermont
Adela Taplin	Wife	Married	Female	White	32	New York	Keeping House	New York	New York
May Taplin	Daughter	Single	Female	White	6	Illinois	At School	Canada	New York
Frank Taplin	Son	Single	Male	White	4	Illinois		Canada	New York

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