John A. Pettingill
Surnames: Davis, McEldowney, Quiggle
Regions: Otsego Co., NY; Farmington, La Crosse Co., WI
Source: Commemorative Biographical Record of the
Upper Lake Region;
Containing Biographical Sketches
of Prominent and Representative Citizens and Many of the Settled
Families;
Illustrated; J.H. Beers & Co. Chicago 1905; Page 162
To John A. Pettingill, merchant and real estate dealer, belongs the distinction of having built the first residence in what is now the town of Iron River. His first log cabin was built in 1887, and from that day to this his life has been closely interwoven with the history of the town. Mr. Pettingill was first attracted to the town while on a hunting trip, and after carefully looking over the land, he chose a location there and prepared to make it his future home. He offered his filing that year on the S.E. one-fourth of section 7, range 8, and put up a log cabin where the town now stands, and on the exact site of the present Grimpo house. The next July his family joined him. Even before he had secured his filings he began making extensive improvements on his land, and had erected a frame building which cost $3000. At that time he entered upon his mercantile career, carrying a small stock of groceries and such merchandise as the needs of the settlers required. Five years after taking up his land Mr. Pettingill decided to lay it out as a town site, and he had a tract one mile square surveyed and platted for the town of Iron River. So rapidly was that region being settled, that as soon as his advertisements appeared, purchasers responded, and within one twenty-four hours he had 150 people there looking for homes, all of whom were his guests overnight, such was the open hospitality of the time and place. The new town grew apace, when July 24, 1902, the whole place was destroyed by fire, seventy-two buildings being swept away, while only five cottages on a back street were saved. This was, of course, a great misfortune for Mr. Pettingill, but still undaunted he pushed ahead, gave every encouragement possible to those who had been burned out, and within a year the town rose again with better buildings than at first. In May, 1892, Mr. Pettingill sold his mercantile interests to Hessey & Hatton, and immediately proceeded to organize a State bank. In this enterprise he was associated with his son, George L., N.C. Kelley and W. F. McEldowney. After about a year Mr. kelley bought out the Pettingill interests. In 1896 Mr. Pettingill again established himself in the mercantile line, opening with a stock valued at $10,000, which he soon increased to $15,000. This business is now carried on by G. L. Pettingill & Co. In addition to these other interests Mr. Pettingill has dealt quite largely in outside real estate.
The man whose career we have thus far followed in Iron River, was a New Yorker by birth, born in Otsego County in 1842, a son of Alonzo and Lucy (Davis) Pettingill, all natives of New York. John received his education in the public schools and was brought up on his father's farm in New York until he was ten years old. In 1856 he went West with his parents and settled in Farmington, La Crosse Co., WI. There he continued dealing in livestock and farming until 1887, when he took up his Bayfield County land as noted above. Mr. Pettingill was married Dec. 29, 1862, to Ann Eliza Quiggle, who has borne him two children; George L. and Eva, now Mrs. William McEldowney, of Salem, Wisconsin. A strong Republican in his ideas, Mr. Pettingill has always taken a leading part in local politics. In La Crosse he served one year as a member of the county board and another as chairman of the town committee. In Iron River he has been chairman of the town and has represented his party frequently in the Legislature and in county and congressional conventions. Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic order, Salem Lodge, No. 125, having attained the Knight Templar and the Royal Arch degrees. In all the relations of life Mr. Pettingill has made an honorable record for himself and is esteemed and respected by all who know him. (Variations: Pettingall)