Eldredge, Barnabas Ballou

Surnames: Angel, Becker, Cady, Crocker, Dale, Fathers, Fisher, Greenleaf, Hammond, Hand, Hunter, Hutchins, Pease, Penn, Platner, Stevens, Swift, Wadsworth, Willard, Woodle, Worthing

Source: Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin, publ. 1901 - page 30-32

BARNABAS BALLOU ELDREDGE, senior member of the firm of ELDREDGE & FISHER, and one of the foremost members of the Rock County Bar, was born at Sharon Springs, Schoharie Co., N.Y., Feb. 2, 1824.

David ELDREDGE, his father, married Sally SWIFT, some mention of whose ancestry may be found in a succeeding paragraph. The father of David ELDREDGE, and grandfather of the subject of this narrative, also bore the baptismal name of Barnabas. He was of Welsh stock, his father having emigrated from Wales to America and settled on Cape Cod, Mass., in 1736; he married Adna HAMMOND, a descendant of the PENN family, through Elisabeth HAMMOND, a sister of Sir William PENN, the father of William PENN, of American distinction. Barnabas ELDREDGE was born at New Bedford, Mass., and married Docia, one of a large family of children born to Josiah WADSWORTH, of Hartford, Conn., who finally with his family located at Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Mr. WADSWORTH was one of the pioneers of Dutchess County, N.Y., and one of the earliest merchants and traders of that section.

David ELDREGEE began life as a farmer, and was the founder of Sharon Springs, which is today one of New York's most beautiful and most fashionable watering places. In 1836 he disposed of the same to Stephen CROCKER, of New York City, and thereupon retired to his farm, where he died Oct. 8, 1865, after an illness of six days, in his sixty-ninth year. He was a man of excellent business sagacity, and of an industry not easily wearied; a good citizen, and a man thoroughly respected in every relation of life. His wife, Sally (SWIFT), was a daughter of Thomas, who was of English descent, and was a native of Rhode Island. He removed from that State to Otsego County, N.Y., where for many years he owned and occupied a farm, and was proprietor of an inn situated near Sharon Springs - a popular hostelry in its day. In 1837 or '38 he migrated form New York to Illinois, setting between Plano and Aurora. There he purchased a farm, to which he soon afterward brought his family, and on which he died, at an advanced age. He was regarded as a man of more than ordinary native ability, and of unusually good business sense.

David ELDREDGE and his wife were the parents of five children, four daughters and one son. Those yet living are Julia, Barnabas B., and Louisa. Julia is Mrs. William BECKER of Easton, Penn.; and Louisa is the widow of Evan WORTHING. The two daughters deceased were named Irene and Nancy; the elder married William DALE, of Phillipsburg, N.J., who was superintendent of construction on the Belvidere & Delaware railroad; and other important engineering enterprises; Nancy became the wife of Philip Henry PLATNER, and both died near Cherry Valley, N.Y. Mrs. ELDREDGE passed away six days before her husband, at the age of sixty-seven. Both were Universalists in faith.

Barnabas B. ELDREDGE received his early education in the common schools of Schoharie County, and at the Clinton Liberal Institute, at Clinton, Oneida Co., N.Y. In 1841 he entered Hamilton College, and in July, 1845, received the degree of A.B. Immediately after graduation he became a student in the Law Department of Harvard University, at Cambridge, Mass., continuing there until December, 1846, the eminent Simon GREENLEAF being then at the head of that department. Thereafter he continued his professional studies in the office of Samuel STEVENS, of Albany, N.Y., then one of the foremost practitioners in that State. In May, 1848, he was admitted to practice in the courts of New York, the judges sitting in banc who passed upon his qualifications being WILLARD, CADY AND HAND.

Being thus equipped for his chosen work, he married and came West. His objective point was Janesville, but very shortly after reaching that inchoate city he received advice of the serious illness of his father, and at once returned home. In 1850 he returned to Wisconsin, and opened an office at Janesville on Dec. 2, of that year, in partnership with Isaac WOODLE and John J. R. PEASE. The co-partnership continued until June, 1851, under the style of WOODLE, ELDREDGE & PEASE, when Mr. WOODLE withdrew. ELDREDGE & PEASE remained together until 1866. On March 20, of that year, Mr. ELDREDGE revisited Sharon Springs, to attend to some needed repairs upon a farm which he owned. This property he finally sold, and returned to Janesville July 1, 1868. He did not resume practice, however, until 1877, his wife's health calling for his constant attention. On Jan. 1, 1878, he entered into partnership with Ogden H. FATHERS, the firm of ELDREDGE & FATHERS continuing in business for five years, when Mr. FATHERS withdrew. Mr. ELDREDGE continued in business alone until 1898, when he associated with himself with Arthur M. FISHER, a gentleman of distinguished native talent.

Reference has been made to our subject's marriage, which occurred Feb. 2, 1848. His bride was Louisa M. HUTCHINS, a daughter of William and Louise (ANGEL) HUTCHINS, who were born and married in Connecticut. Mr. and Mrs. ELDREDGE became the parents of two sons, William M. and Charles C. The elder, whose biography may be found upon another page, is engaged in handling real estate. Charles C. died in infancy. Mrs. ELDREDGE was a Universalist, but attended the Episcopal Church in Janesville until her death, which occurred March 28, 1877. On June 17, 1878, Mr. ELDREDGE married a second time, leading to the altar Miss Mary A. HUNTER, the daughter of a distinguished Presbyterian clergyman of Quebec, Canada, who died there after reaching the extraordinary age of ninety-two years. Both Mr. and Mrs. ELDREDGE are communicants of the Episcopal Church. He is a man of genial, whole-souled temperament, kindly disposition, and social instincts. He belongs to Janesville Lodge, N. 55, A.F. & A.M.; to Janesville Chapter, No. 5, R.A.M.; and is also a member of Janesville commandery, No. 2, K.T., in which he at one time held the office of captain general. In early life he was a Democrat, but supported the Free Soil wing of that party in 1848, and shortly before the outbreak of the Rebellion espoused the political tenets of the Republican party. He was the original promoter and organizer of the branch of the Union League established at Janesville in the early days of the Civil war, and for two years was its chief executive officer.

In the early days of Janesville's history as a municipality, Mr. ELDREDGE consented to serve as alderman. The position was distasteful to him, yet he devoted to its duties his best efforts. He also occupied a seat on the board of supervisors for several years, and was long a director of the Rock County Agricultural Society. No wisely-conceived, well-directed public enterprise has ever appealed in vain either to his sympathy or to his purse. He was the promoter and supervised the sinking of the first artesian well in Rock County, and was one of the prime movers in the establishment of the city water works, furnishing an abundant supply of water taken from artesian wells.