William Henry Borden

WILLIAM HENRY BORDEN, M.D., has for over forty-six years been a medical practitioner at Milton, Rock County, and is still actively engaged in his profession. His long residence at Milton has been one of wide usefulness and eminent success, broken only by his service in the army during the Civil war.

Dr. BORDEN was born in Sharon, Schoharie Co., N.Y., Sept. 24, 1824, son of James and Rebecca Combs (CRAIGE) BORDEN, and grandson of Peletiah and Ellen (GORDONIER) BORDEN, the grandfather a native of New York, of English extraction, the grandmother of Holland parentage. They reared a large family, eight sons and five daughters. Peletiah BORDEN was by occupation a farmer and blacksmith, and lived to the age of over seventy-five years. He served a short time in the Revolution.

James BORDEN, father of our subject, was born in Sharon, Schoharie Co., N.Y., and was reared a farmer. He married Rebecca Combs CRAIGE, a native of Monmouth, N.J., daughter of a cabinet maker, and one of a family of seven children - three sons and four daughters. She was of Scotch-Irish extraction. James BORDEN acquired the tanner's, currier's and shoemaker's trades, which he followed for a number of years, devoting his attention chiefly to tanning. He died at Otto, N.Y., Nov. 13, 1850, at the comparatively early age of forty-eight years. His wife survived until October, 1893, passing away at the ripe old age of ninety-three years and seven months. Both in their younger years were members of a Presbyterian Church which was later merged into the Congregational Church. To James and Rebecca C. BORDEN were born seven children, five sons and two daughters, of whom the following survive: Dr. William H., our subject; Marietta, wife of Hurd STRICKLAND, of Otto, N.Y.; Lyman S., of Milton, Wis.; Jay, of Springville, N.Y., and James Craige, of Otto, New York.

The boyhood of Dr. BORDEN was spent in Otto, Cattaraugus Co., N.Y., where he was employed in his father's tannery when not attending school. He was a pupil in the common schools, attended the select schools at Gowanda, N.Y., and later for nearly two years was a student of the academy at Fredonia, N.Y. When his education was thus completed he taught school for three terms. Then, deciding to adopt medicine as his life work, he began study in the office of Dr. Levi GOLDSBOROUGH, of Otto, later entering the Medical Department of the University of Buffalo, at Buffalo, N.Y., of which he was one of the first students, and graduating from that institution April 19, 1849.

Dr. BORDEN visited Jamestown, N.Y., with a view to beginning his practice in that town but a few weeks later was offered a partnership with Dr. WILCOX, at Randolph, N.Y., which he accepted. This partnership lasted a year, and at its conclusion Dr. BORDEN practiced for two years at Scio, N.Y. The illness of his old preceptor, Dr. GOLDSBOROUGH, of Otto, presented an opportunity for a partnership in that town, which was accepted. But a year later, in 1854, the young physician, now confident of his future, resolved to being anew in the West. Locating at Milton, Wis. in that year, he has there continued to practice ever since, except during the closing year of the Civil war, when he served as surgeon of the 1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery, until the regiment was mustered out. He at once resumed his lucrative practice at Milton, which he has ever since continued. Dr. BORDEN is a member of the Wisconsin State Medical Society, and of the Board of Examining Surgeons, of the Pension Bureau at Janesville, and has been for many years prominently identified with the medical papers of southern Wisconsin.

Dr. BORDEN was married, Jan. 23, 1851, to Miss Lavina Depew VAN CAMPEN, daughter of Capt. Benjamin and Mary (SAUNDERS) VAN CAMPEN. To Dr. and Mrs. BORDEN have been born three children: Mary Alice is at home with her parents. Emily A. married George VAN CAMPEN of Olean, N.Y., and has one child, Benjamin. James B., a graduate of Milton College, classical course, and a post-graduate of the State University at Madison, is now superintendent of public schools and principal of the high school at Marshfield, Wis.; he married Miss Mary Alice TOMPKINS, and has one son, William Henry. In the present home at Milton the family has lived for the past thirty-one years. Since the Doctor's purchase of the property he has remodeled it thoroughly, making his one of the attractive and inviting residences of the city.

Dr. BORDEN and family are attendants of the Congregational Church. For a number of years he was a prominent Odd Fellow, but is no longer active in the order. In politics he is an independent. Dr. BORDEN is a much respected authority in Milton, not only professionally, but in all matters that pertain to the general welfare. His long residence in the thriving little city has made him a living factor in its growth from its infancy, and the elements for well-being, to which for nearly a half century he has contributed so generously, will remain and widen their influence long after his active life work has drawn to a close.

From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin, publ. 1901 - page 96-97 - Submitted by Carol

Variations: Gardenier, Gardinier, Gordinier