WILLIAM SCHLINGSOG, one of the leading farmers of Grant Township, and a prominent official of the township -for many years, was born in any, Sept. 25, 1844, son of Carl and Anna parents, who were both natives of Germany, left that country in 1853 for the United States, which they reached after a voyage of thirteen weeks in a sailing vessel. They were accompanied by four children: Gottlieb, who was afterwards killed while serving as a soldier in the Civil War; William, subject of this Ketch; Adolph, a resident of Grant Township; and Carolina, residing in Lynn Township, who is the widow of Ernest Lustig.

Proceeding to Milwaukee, the family resided there for about two weeks and then went to Ansoka, and from there to Kirkline, where they remained for about a year. Their next place of residence was Hawe's Corner, four miles west of Cedarburg, in which locality they resided until 1858, the year in which they came to Clark County. The journey was made with an ox team, and while on the way they fell in with two other families, who drove into the county with them, the party including Robert Howard, a Mr. Hallock and John Pope. Stopping at the house of an early settler of Lynn Township, now deceased, they remained with him a couple of weeks, while Mr. Schlinsog looked around for a good piece of land on which to settle. He finally secured 160 acres in Section 14, Grant Township, all wild land and largely covered with timber. There were no roads and Indians were plentiful in the vicinity. For his first residence, Mr. Schlinsog built a one-room log cabin, 16 by 16 feet in size. Then he started to clear the land with nothing but an axe and a grub-hoe, not having even an ox. However, he was imbued with the right spirit for pioneer life, and in the end conquered all difficulties. Like the other early settlers, he often had to carry flour and other provisions on his back from Neillsville. When he came here Clark County contained only three townships, and he was one of the men who organized the township of Grant.

He died at the age of 58 years, and his wife at that of 48. They and their family were members of the German Lutheran church, which held services at that time in the schoolhouse. William Schlinsog acquired the first elements of knowledge in the schools of his native land, and afterwards attended school for a while in Waukesha County, Wis. He grew to manhood on the home farm, which he helped his father to clear and improve, and where he has ever since resided. In his younger days he often worked out to earn his board. He now owns about 400 acres of good farm land, and has built a fine modern house and barns, but well remembers when his wife used to help him by working out in the fields. For some twelve or fifteen years Mr. Schlinsog has been the director of the Lynn Fire Insurance Company, and is a stockholder in them, Lynn Telephone Company. For a number of years he has held the office of chairman of the township board, and has served as school treasurer for forty years. He helped to build the German Lutheran church, and has been one of its leading officials.

William Schlinsog was married June 11, 1866, to Amelia Worchel, who was born in Germany, and came to this country with her parents, Gottlieb and Anna Worchel. They located on wild land in Grant Township in 1865.

In 1916 Mr. and Mrs. Schlinsog celebrated their golden wedding. They have ten children: Carl, a resident, of Lynn Township; Emma, who lives in Chicago; Herman, of Grant Township; Bertha, wife of Herman Keller, of Lynn Township; Henry, of Grant Township; William Jr.; Anna; Martha, who died at the age of six months; Laura; Fred, residing on the home farm, and Bertha, an adopted daughter who married Paul Hessel, of Greenwood, Clark County.