Bio: Valentine, John (1817 - 1896)

Contact: Stan

----Sources: Census Reports, Michigan Death Records, Wisconsin Land Records, Clark Co., History

Surnames: Valentine, Shepperd, Woodward, O'Neill, Douglas, Graffin

John Valentine

Clark Co., Wisconsin Lumber Barron

John Valentine, an early settler of Jackson County, was one of the first land owners in Clark County, Wisconsin.  He was born September 17, 1817 in Buffalo, New York.  His parents were Abraham and Anne (Woodward) Valentine.  Abstract entries for the County show he was co-owner of land in Township 26, which is now know as Eaton Township.  His partner was Andrew Shepperd.

Being interested in lumbering, Samuel Weston claimed land in section six of Loyal Township, lured by the standings of heavy growth pine and hardwood timber.  The hardwoods consisted of white oak, red oak, black oak, white and black ash, birch, maple, basswood and butternut.  The first to be harvested were the towering pines with hardwoods going later, hardwoods that would make present day lumbermen feel they had found Utopia.

Beneath the forest cover, was rich and deep soil, adaptable for excellent farmland, to be proven in later years.  Many small streams of pure water wound through the forested area, with no swamps.

After Weston, Andrew Sheppard and John Valentine took up sections 3, 4 and 5 with Stephen Amery claiming section 19 and were business partners for over twenty-five years.  Both of them lived in the ghost town of "Boomville", but when John's first wife, Chloe Gaffin, died, he took up residence in the 5th Ward of La Crosse, Wisconsin and built the first frame home in that area.  In 1851, he constructed "The Packet Company Mill" and made lath bolts, but one Friday was struck and severely injured while working on one of them.  He died that Sunday, May 30, 1875 and a large funeral followed.  His son, Horace, also died in that mill. 

James O’Neill's marriage to Jane Douglas on 7 March 1847, was officiated by John Valentine, Justice of the Peace, at Melrose, (now in Jackson County).

Obit: Valentine, John (1817 - 1896)

----Source: Michigan Death Records

Michigan Death Records

John Valentine
Event Type: Death
Event Date: 21 Feb 1896
Event Place: Hastings, Barry, Michigan
Gender: Male
Age: 79
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Farmer
Birth Date:
Birth Year (Estimated): 1817
Birthplace: New York
Father's Name: John Valentine
Mother's Name: Ester Valentine

1870 Federal Census, Wisconsin, United States, pg. 21, line 9

John Valentine, white, 52 yr. old male
 
Household Members
John Valentine M 52 New York
Cloe Valentine F 37 Canada
Flavius Valentine M 12 Wisconsin
Ellis Valentine M 9 Wisconsin
Allana Valentine F 9 Wisconsin
Byron Valentine M 6 Wisconsin
Emma Ireland F 20 Canada

Father: Abraham Valentine b: 6 Jul 1797 in Nassau, Rensselaer Co., New York
Mother: Anne Woodward b: 1800

Marriage 1 Chloe Ann Gaffin b: 10 Jun 1819 in Quebec, Canada
Married: 25 Jun 1845 in Ogle County, Illinois

Children

Horace Valentine b: 4 Mar 1846 in Boomville, Jackson County, Wisconsin
Harriet Valentine b: 11 May 1849 in Boomville, Jackson County, Wisconsin
Albert Valentine b: 22 Feb 1853 in Boomville, Jackson County, Wisconsin
George Valentine b: 22 Feb 1853 in Boomville, Jackson County, Wisconsin

Marriage 2 - Chloe Elizabeth Married b: 24 Sep 1832 in Hope, Ontario Co, New York
Married: 12 Oct 1856 in La Crosse, Wisconsin

Children

Flavius Lester Valentine b: 30 Jul 1857 in La Cross, Wisconsin
Syrena Valentine b: 30 Jul 1859
Alice (Elice) L. Valentine b: 30 Apr 1861 in Campbell Town, La Crosse, Wisconsin
Laura Oliva Valentine b: 30 Apr 1861 in La Crosse, Wisconsin
Byron Howard Valentine b: 23 Oct 1863 in Campbell Town, La Crosse, Wisconsin
Elura D. Valentine b: 23 Oct 1862 in Wisconsin

Responses

I notice that you dedicated a page on your website to John Valentine.  I came across a reference in the DAR library that his son Byron H. Valentine was in possession of an Enos Woodard family Bible.  Would you know where Bryon H. Valetine might have given the Bible?
Is your group in possession of family Bibles?

Many thanks,

Geoffrey Woodard  gew232000@yahoo.com
 

Contributors

Clark County History Buffs

Related Links

Andrew Shepperd