William L. Cummings

Weston, Clark Co., Wisconsin

William L. Cummings was an early Clark, Wisconsin pioneer who was engaged in logging in the now extinct village of Weston.  He was born in Bloomfeld, Walworth County, Wisconsin where his father farmed after leaving Massachusetts in 1844.

William arrived in the Neillsville area about 1853 when his parents, Israel Perkins and Mary Priscilla Cummings moved their family overland by way of Portage and settled on Cunningham Creek and were Israel was employed in logging.  They later moved to Sam Weston's place. Israel's brother, Edwin, worked there in the cook shanty, along with Charles H. Cummings, his nephew and a brother of William.  Only one other family was residing in the town of Weston when they arrived.  William lived there until 1861.  While there, Israel killed 128 deer, and his wife, with a child in her arms, was lost in the woods in a snow storm, being found by the Indians all safe, but very much frightened.  William then moved to Trempealeau County, settling on a farm in the town of Lincoln. 

William received a public school education, and afterward attended the Galesville University for six terms, after which he began teaching--first in Whitehall, then at Arcadia and a number of other schools until he commenced farming.  He was married in 1873 to Addie Bunn, in Trempealeau County.  His wife was the niece of Judge Bunn of Madison, Wisconsin.

Sources: Family Stories & the 1881 History of Northern, Wisconsin.

Contributor, Janet Schwarze.