Bio: Putnam, Henry C. (1881)

Contact: crystal@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Putnam, Cleavland, Balcom

----Source: History of Northern Wisconsin (Eau Claire County, Wis.) 1881, page 330

HENRY C. PUTNAM, banker, came to Eau Claire as a civil engineer, and laid out the present town. He was born in Madison, N.Y., March 6, 1832, and is a son of Hamilton and Jeanette Cleavland Putnam (both living now, and residing in Cortland Co., N.Y.) They are the tenth generation from the original Putnam family, five removes from Gen. Putnam. Mr. H. C. Putnam lived in Cortland until he was eighteen years old, when he commenced railroad engineering, having graduated after a three years course in the Gold Engineering School in Connecticut. He was employed three years on the New York railroads, two and one half in Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee, in civil engineering. In l855, he came to Hudson, and was connected with the North Wisconsin, and Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien roads about a year; was then engaged in surveying and locating lands in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and came to Eau Claire, May 23, 1857. He has been County Surveyor ten years, Register of Deeds eight years; from 1864 to 1870, was acting Register of United States Land Office, and has held various other offices. He is one of the proprietors of the Chippewa Valley Bank, and is one of the directors of the Dells Improvement Co., besides being connected with various other enterprises. Mr. Putnam is a member of the American Association of Mining Engineers, and is Special United States Census Agent, having charge of Forestry Department. He was married at Eau Claire, Aug. 8, 1858, to Jane E. Balcom, who was born in Oxford, Chenango Co., N.Y., and is a daughter of Harry Balcom, a prominent citizen of that place. They have two children living, Ernest B., born in October, 1860, and Sara Lynn, born in October, 1862. Lost four children.