Staffordsville, Clark County, Wisconsin

Leonard's father, Solomon Stafford, was born January 22, 1785 in Guilford, Windham Co, Vermont and died May 23, 1851 Hartland, Somerset Co, Maine.  He was a farmer and school teacher in Hartland, Somerset, Maine.  He married Anna Thompson, October 3, 1806 in Greene, Androscoggin Co, Maine. She was born May 16, 1791 Wales, Androscoggin, Maine and died March 23, 1865 Hartland, Somerset Co, Maine. They moved from Greene, Maine about 1817, settling in North Hill, Somerset County (Later renamed "Brighton") and later moved on to Hartland.

The fourteen children of Solomon and Anna (Thompson) Stafford were:

1. Elizabeth R. Stafford -  b. 1807 Greene, Androscoggin Co, Maine - d. 20 February 1844 Hartland, Somerset Co, Maine. She married John Dore, Sr.  When her son, John S. Dore, was about sixteen, he left home and found work on Wedges Creek moving logs down stream and later taught in the first school house in Neillsville.  In 1872, he and Jennie Angell began building a large log home along Pleasant Ridge, in the town of Grant.  This home later became locally known as the "Youman House."

2. Horatio Nelson Stafford - b. 1809 Greene, Androscoggin Co, Maine - d. 1826 Hartland, Somerset Co, Maine.

3. Jacob Stafford - b. 6 April 1811 Greene, Androscoggin Co, Maine - d. 1861 Hamilton, IL. He married Roxanna Starbird.

4. Orren Stafford 1813 - b. 4 July 1813 Hartland, Somerset Co, Maine. - d. 27 Jan 1895 Hartland, Maine. He was a farmer and he and his first wife, Rosetta Starbird (1818-1850), had seven children: Frederick 1836, Mary A 1838, Charles N 1841, James L 1843, Caroline 1846, Orren Jr 1848, John 1850. He and his second wife, Ann Chamberlain, had two children: Leonard 1852, George 1854.

5. Joel Thomas Stafford - Joel Thomas Stafford b. 22 June 1815 Hartland, Somerset Co, Maine.-d. 6 April 1881 Hartland, Maine. According to the 1861 Maine Census, he was employed as a millwright in Hartland, Maine. He married Sarah Starbird (b 1818- d ? ), daughter of John Starbird and Betsy Warren. 6 Ch: John Abel b 12 December 1839, Rozilla (Rosetta) b 1844, Alfred b 5 August 1847-d 9 February 1918, Ellen (Ella) b 6 August 1847-d. 10 April 1871 (a twin of Alfred), Richard W b 1849-d 1926, Milford b 1849 (a twin of Richard).

6. Solomon Harrison Stafford - b. 30 June 1817, Hartland, Somerset Co, Maine d. - 17 November 1902. He married Hannah Oliver and they had four children: Nelson 1844, Caroline, Hannah L 1847, William H. 1850. They moved to Neillsville, Clark Co, WI in 1868. Both Harrison and Johnson came to Clark County, Wisconsin where they apparently worked in the pineries for their brother Leonard. Harrison eventually returned to Maine, probably after Leonard died in 1871.

7. Johnston L. Stafford - b. 25 May 1818 Hartland, Somerset Co, Maine - d. 8 May 1875. Johnson is listed in the 1850 census with wife Mercy Brand in Hartland, Maine and by the 1860 Census, he and his wife had five children: Prince A b. 1840, and Mercy Ann b. 1842, Melvina, Mary A, Caroline. He was a carpenter. Both he and his wife are buried in the Neillsville City Cemetery, Clark Co., Wisconsin.

8. Elias D. Stafford - b. 16 September 1821, Hartland, Somerset Co, Maine- d. 14 April 1866, Hartland, Maine. He married Mary J Bean. Elias probably served in the Civil War. His gravestone had a marker mentioning his regiment.

9. Leonard R. Stafford - b. 12 August 1823 Hartland, Somerset Co, Maine - d. 19 August 1871 Staffordsville, Clark Co, WI. . He married Merribah W. Elliott (b. 1834 Maine), daughter of Isaiah & Betsy (Maloon) Elliott. Leonard is listed in the 1850 census as a farmer in Hartland Maine. They moved to Clark Co., Wisconsin in 1858 and he engaged in lumbering, moving his family from LaCrosse, in a wagon drawn by four mules, and driven by a man named Charlie Hewett; they passed through Neillsville, and went on to Weston's Rapids, where there was a large hotel, run by Harry Searls; here they stopped until he had built a house on his land, on Sec. 11, three-fourths of a mile north of Neillsville.  He with great ability, continued to build, and finally induced so many to locate around him, that the village was named Staffordsville after him, and at this time it was more of a business place than the county seat.  There was a saw mill, grist mill, hotel, machine shop, etc.  The little village continued to thrive till 1871, when the founder died, since then the settlement has entirely disappeared, nothing is left but the hotel, which was patronized, till, on the breaking out of the small pox, it was used as a pest house, and is now rapidly falling to pieces.  Staffordsville, Clark Co (the location being named Staffordsville in honor of Leonard R Stafford). Staffordsville was located about a mile and a half north of Neillsville and today is merely farm land with no traces of the lumber company which once stood there. In the 1870 WI census, his real estate was set at $100,000 and his personal property at $80,000, he was a farmer, hotelkeeper, livery stable owner and lumberman with many people living in his establishment and working for him. His logging company was in Clark Co, his log mark was a line cut across the back with four smaller lines cut at a certain angle- it was called the 'long forty'. At his death in 1871, the Hall of Hercules Lodge, IODF requested all lodge members be in attendance at his funeral. He and his wife had four children: Alice; Albion b. 1849; James "Jamie" E. b. 1857; and Maud.   Alice was a school teacher for some time and married Ed Robbins of LaCrosse where he ran a hotel.

10. Richard Thompson Stafford - b. 14 September 1825 Hartland, Somerset Co, Maine.- d. 4 November 1897 in Chippewa Falls, Chippewa Co, Wisconsin, and was buried in Lafayette, Prairie View, Halley. He married to Margaret M. Field in 1853. She was born 4 October 1827 Windham, Maine and died 23 September 1907 Chippewa Falls, WI. She was the daughter of William Field (10 February 1796 Windham, Maine-22 December 1871) & Margaret Campbell (1798- ?). 3 Ch: William Henry 1855, Peter Field 1857, Laura Isabel 1866. In 1856, Richard & Margaret Staffford owned 300 acres of land in Orono, Maine. At the 1870 census in Maine, her parents are living with them and Richard reports a real estate value of $1,500; they moved the household, including the grandparents and three children to Montana in 1874.  They then returned to Wisconsin, near Chippewa Falls and farmed in Lafayette.  In 1890, Richard & Margaret Stafford moved to Fresno, CA where they owned a vineyard, but again returned to Chippewa Falls by 1897.

11. Nelson Stafford - b. 29 November 1827 Hartland, Somerset Co, Maine. - d. 1848.

12. Albion K Stafford - b. 29 November 1827 Hartland, Somerset Co, Maine - d. 6 October 1912 Chippewa Falls, WI. He married Evaline A Elliot (1840-1912) on 13 October 186. Albion moved to Neillsville, WI and then on to Lafayette, Chippewa Co, WI where he farmed.  He and his wife had two children: Albion G. 1869 , Eveline/Eveyln 1847-1959.  Both children remained single. Albion died April 20,1902.  Peter Stafford who was of Cartwright, WI at that time was mentioned in his obituary.

13. Martha Ann Stafford - b. 12 March 1830 Hartland, Somerset Co, Maine- d. 8 June 1918. She married John Towle in 1860.

14. John N Stafford - b. 7 April 1833 Hartland, Somerset Co, Maine - d. 3 June 1918 Hartland, Maine. He married Emerline Jordan on 9 Feb 1854. They were the parents of four children: Edwin d. 1863; Lucy J. d. 1863; Edward J. d. 1870; and John d. 1873. His second wife was Sarah Woodbridge and they married in 1872. They were the parents of two children: Nellie Augusta and Prince A.

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Responses

Hello - I was just reading your post on Leonard Stafford - born August 12, 1823 Hartland, Somerset Co, Maine.

I have notes in my file that state:

Probate on his estate took from 1873-1900 to complete. The quantity of merchandise, and time to dispose of the land Leonard's company owned took years to resolve.

Many persons bought portions of his land including his brothers Richard and Albion. The buildings were sold and moved to Neillsville.
Another factor which contributed to the length of time to settle Leonard's affairs were the debts owed - ongoing business invoices which amounted to $50,000 against the estate as at May 1872.
Probate documents are on LDS Film # 1428662 under #331 covering the term of years 1873-1900. (I've not seen this film - I understand there are many, many pages of material)

I don't know how much you want to post as some of this maybe sensitive even today to Leonard's descendants (if any are still living)

I'm a descendant of one of Leonard's brothers. Beryl Meehan