"The BIOGRAPHICAL History of Clark County, Wisconsin"

Compiled by Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge, Chicago and Winona, H. C. Cooper Jr., & Co. in 1918

Wesley Vanderhoof, a widely known and respected resident of Sherman Township, of which he was a pioneer settler, was born on a farm in Morris County, N.J., at a place called Pequanic, Oct. 16, 1843. He is a son of Jacob and Jane Miller Vanderhoof, who were also farming people, as most of the Vanderhoofs have been for generations. Jacob Vanderhoof, who was one of a family numbering four daughters and five sons, removed to Wisconsin in 1870, with his wife and several children, locating at Plymouth, Sheboygan County. There he farmed until 1874, in which year he came to Clark County, His son, Wesley, however having preceded him in 1869. He took a farm in Sherman Township, on which he and his wife resided for the rest of their lives. The latter was the first to pass away, her death taking place in 1899, when she was 76 years old. He survived her many years, dying at the age of 99, in 1915, having almost rounded out a century of existence. Wesley Vanderhoof attended school for a short time in his youth, but had no chance to get a liberal education. In 1861, Eighth New Jersey Regiment and was mustered in at Trenton, the regiment being sent to Washington. With it he served three years and two months, during which time he saw and participated in a great deal of hard fighting. At Chancellorsville he was wounded in the hip and lay on the field for six days, being then picked up and sent to Mt. Pleasant Hospital at Washington. When recovered he rejoined his regiment. Among the battles in which he took part were those of Williamsburg, Yorktown, Harrison Landing, Fair Oaks, Deep Bottom and the fighting in front of Petersbury.

After the war was over he came West ahead of the other members of the family, stayed a few months at Plymouth, Wis., and then, in 1869, came to Neillsville, Clark County. Here he found employment in helping to build the first turnpike road in the county, from Neillsville towards Greenwood. In the winter he worked in the woods, taking part in log driving in the spring. In 1874, Mr. Vanderhoof bought his present place in Sections 14 and 15, Sherman Township, and in the same year the other members of the family arrived, the children being Ward, Rachel, now Mrs. Ed Kayhart, Frances, Walter, Now of Loyal Charles, of Sherman Township Elijah, and Sarah, now Mrs. Michael DeGraw, of Sherman Township. There were no roads here at the time, and the land was covered with pine and hardwood timber. Between his farm and Neillsville there was seventeen houses, and the distance between the two places he walked many a time to attend the county boards, of which for six years he was a member. He also often carried supplies from Spencer, four miles away. On his farm he built a log house 18 by 28 feet in size, with two rooms downstairs and two up and also a log barn covered with scoops. He had a yoke of oxen and a few chickens, but it was two years before he got a cow. On Sept. 6, 1882, Mr. Vanderhoof married Ellen Clark, who was born at Plymouth, Sheboygan County, Wis., Feb. 27, 1854, daughter of Reuben and Percis Bradford Clark, her father being a native of New York and her mother of Vermont.

The family came to Clark County about 1876, locating in Section 10, Sherman Township, on a tract of land that was nearly all wild, there being a log house on it, however. There Reuben Clark died in 1880, at the age of 67 years his wife survived him, dying nine years ago at the age of 83. They had a family of ten children. Wesley Vanderhoof had 120 acres when he began domestic life, and has since increased his holdings to 315 acres. With the aid of his son he is still engaged in clearing his farm, having now about 175 acres cleared. He has built a basement barn 36 by 68 feet in size and has other good buildings, including a comfortable residence. He breeds Holstein cattle, a good grade of horses, Poland-China hogs and Shropshire sheep, and is a member of the Maple Grove Creamery Association. In addition to his early service on the township board, as already mentioned, Mr. Vanderhoof was the second supervisor of the township. He has been justice of the peace and school clerk for thirty-seven years. He has always taken a keen interest in the development of his township and the county at large, and serving in his second year on the board.

Mr. and Mrs. Vanderhoof are the parents of six children-Pearl, Frank, Alfred, Guy, Maud and Hazel. Maud now the wife of R. B. Sleyster of Cochran, Wis. and has one child, Genevieve. Guy is a soldier in Company M, 352nd United States Infantry, and as such is taking part in the present Great War.