HOUGHTONBURG CEMETERY HISTORY

Transcribed by Stan Schwarze.

In the early fall of 1854, David Houghton of Walworth Co., Wis., decided that some land lying in the Northern part of Jackson County looked like a good place for him and his brothers to build homes.  In those days, land was purchased from the government for $1.25 an acre.  The land office was in La Crosse.  After picking out the tracts of land he liked, David started for La Crosse afoot.  Reaching Black River Falls late in the day, he stopped at a hotel for supper.  While eating, he heard two other men making plans to go to the land office the next day to enter claims to the same parcel of land.  David decided to try to beat these men to La Crosse.  Coming to the Black River, he faced a problem.  There was a thin ice on the water.  Too much to allow a boat to cross, yet not think enough for a man’s weight.  He lay down and slid himself across and went on afoot, arriving in time to buy the desired land.

David’s brother, Edwin, and his wife came that same winter and built a small house on this same land.  In the spring of 1856, Oliver, Sidney and Jeffers Houghton, E. D. Maxon, Dave Nettleton, Wm. Boss, Wm. And Nelson Walker and their families arrived.  This history was taken from the Banner Journal of Black River Falls in 1936.  David died in the Jefferson Barracks in Missouri, member of Co. I. 14^th Infantry, Civil War.

William James Dunlap passed away July 11, 1936, at his home in Houghtonburg.  He was born in Providence, Quebec, Canada on July 12, 1852.  His early life was spent in Canada where he took up the carpenter trade, and at the age of 28 he came to the United States, arriving at Fort Dodge, Iowa.  Here her remained about a year working as carpenter for a railroad company, thence coming to Merrillan and purchasing a piece of land in Houghtonburg where he had since made his home.  On Dec. 13, 1882, he was united in marriage to Mrs. Emma King of Tomah.  She preceded him in death in 1931.

Etsel Dunn, son of James and Mary Dunn, was born Sept. 28, 1864.  On Dec 31, 1913, he was united in marriage to Miss Lois Terrell.  He died Nov. 17, 1940.  A twin brother, Ed, died seven years prior to this.

Earl W. Grush was born in Houghtonburg, May 5, 1882, to John and Hannah Grush, the only son in a family of four children.  On June 6, 1905, he was married to Blanche Wilson of Humbird.  To this family were born four children: Willard, an infant son who passed away when ten days old; Roy, whose tragic death at the age of six years is still vividly remembered by man; Viva Mae, now Mrs. Clemmons, and Faiella June.  Earl died on May 11, 1936.

Source: Unknown.  Please contact us if you can tell us who wrote this interesting history of the Houghtonburg Cemetery.

Related Links

• History – Houghtonburg Cemetery (7 May 1938)

Houghtonburg Cemetery Index