----Source: 1918 History of Clark County, Wisconsin, pages 477 - 478

                 Mr. & Mrs. Albert Porath

Albert Porath, proprietor of a farm of 160 acres in Section 20, Lynn Township, was born in Pommern, Germany, June 10, 1857, son of Ferdinand and Henrietta (Koelar) Porath. The parents remained all their lives in their native land, but about 1880, Albert Porath came alone to the United States, proceeding from New York to Milwaukee, where he worked at the masons' trade for about two years. On June 12, 1881, he was there married to Louise Groose, whose father, Christian, a German farmer, had come with his family to this country in 1870, locating in Jefferson County, Wis. She was born in Pommern, Germany, Nov. 24, 1862.

In 1882, after their marriage, Albert Porath came with his wife to Neillsville, Clark County. Here he found employment in a heading mill, where he worked for fifteen years. During their first year in Neillsville he and his wife were forced to live in the kitchen of one of the few houses in the village, this being the best accommodation they could find. After the first year he bought a five-acre tract on the north side of Black River, in the locality now known as North Neillsville. He then had to build a boat, as there was no bridge, on which he transported all of his supplies, including the lumber for his house, which he built himself. He also had to cut his own road from the creek north to his home. His supplies and lumber had to be carried on the back from the town. There he resided for seventeen years, and the, about the year 1900, he bought eighty acres of wild land that constitutes the present farm. Here he made a small round clearing, in which he built a house-the second that he had erected with his own hands, and which is still standing. Since then he has doubled the size of his farm by the purchase of eighty acres more, and has now a good place on which to do general farming, having cleared much of the land and made many improvements. He is also a shareholder in the Wausau Packing Company. For fifteen years he has served efficiently as director and treasurer of the school board.

He and his wife have a family of six children, two of whom are married-Agnes being the wife of W. F. Handt of Beloit, Wis., and Emma the wife of Edward Sweschulke, a farmer of Clark County. The others-Alfred, Henry and Norma-are residing at home. Ernest is now married and a farmer of Lynn Township.