History of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens.

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HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
ing. In the fall, he went to Freeport, 111., and worked at his trade. In 1861, he again visited Vernon county, and was married here July 20 to Marion O, daughter of Hans Hanson, who settled near Bloomingdale in 1855. He returned to Freeport with his bride and re¬ sumed work at his trade, remaining there until 1863, when he returned to Vernon county, and purchased a farm of Nels Hanson two and one- half miles from Bloomingdale. He lived there eight years, then traded his farm for a grist¬ mill at Bloomingdale. He carried on this mill until 1878, when he traded it for a farm on sections 25 and 26 of town 12 north, of range 4 west, embraced in the town of Kicka¬ poo. There was a large frame barn on this farm and he has since completed the farm houses, and is now well provided with buildings. His farm now contains 202 acres of land, a portion of which is in the Kickapoo valley. Mr. and Mrs. Olson are the parents of nine chil¬ dren—Annie M., Minnie A., Olouf M., Mar¬ cus H., John A., Hans N., Hannah L., Ida A. and Charles Edwin. They are taking good care to educate their children. Their oldest daughter, Annie, is a teacher in the public schools.
Jedediah Demings is a prominent member of the Seventh Day Adventist denomination. He was born in Franklin Co., Vt., Nov. 6, 1826, and at the age of fifteen, suffered the loss of his mother. His father soon after removed to Illinois, and our subject was left to care for him¬ self. He was employed on a farm in Vermont for two years, and then went to Essex Co., N. Y., where he found similar employment at $9 per month. In 1845 he went to Illinois and joined his father in McHenry county, where he remained two years. In 1847 he went to Wis¬ consin, and spent two years in Winnebago county. He then returned to his father's home in Illinois, going on foot, and walking the long journey of 136 miles in two and one-half days. His time was passed in Illinois and Wisconsin, until 1856, when be went to Minnesota, and
located in Nicolet county, then on the frontier, and inhabited mostly by Indians. He remained there four years, and in 1860 came to Vernon county, and located a homestead on section 2, of town 11 north, of range 3 west, where he now has a pleasant home. Mr. Demings was married Feb. 17,* 1856, to Adeline Gibbs, a native of Vermont. Mr. Demings was con¬ verted to the faith of the Seventh Day Ad¬ ventist in Illinois, in 1850, and is the founder of that denomination in Vernon county. Mrs. Demings is also a member.
Charles E. Smith settled on his present farm in 1860. He is a native of the old Bay State, born sixteen miles from Boston, in Lincoln township, Middlesex county, Aug. 15, 1835. His early education was begun in the district school and completed in the Lawrence Ac^^de- my, at Groton, Mass. When seventeen years of age, he went to Boston, engaging as clerk for an establishment there until 1856, when he started west to seek a home. He located at St. Peter, Nicolet Co., Minn., being one of the early settlers there. He lived there, on govern¬ ment land, until 1860, when he sold out, and as before stated, came to Vernon county. His farm is situated in the Kickapoo valley, on sec¬ tion 34, town 12, range 3. It is in a good state of cultivation, and he has erected a neat frame house thereon. Mr. Smith was married in 1860, to Ruth E. Gibbs, born in Vermont. They have had four children—Charles O., Fred L., Lucy A. and Myrtie M. Mr. Smith has been prominent in town and county affairs, and was assessor for several years.
B. C. Hutchison, one of the pioneers of Vernon county, was born in Pennsylvania, in January, 1818. He lived there until four years of age, when he removed to Ohio, settling in Richland county. He was there married to Matilda Hooks, who was born in Ohio. Thir¬ teen children blessed this union, nine of whom are now living. In 1844 they came to Wiscon¬ sin, locating in Grant county. In 1849 he again sought a new home, settling in Franklin town.