Hiram Wilson Renne, 1839

Posted4U@Charter.net on Sat, 17 Feb 2001

Surname: RENNE, WILSON, MARSH

Source: History of Clark County, Wisconsin (1918), by Franklyn, Curtiss-Wedge

HIRAM WILSON RENNE, an esteemed citizen of Sherman Township, where he has resided for many years, was born in Essex County, New York, Sept. 12, 1839, son of Henry and Phila (Wilson) Renne, who were farming people. Henry was born in New York state, on the Hudson River, and was a son of John Renne, who came to that location from Canada. Henry's wife, Mrs. Phila Renne, was from Vermont. Hiram W. Renne came to Clark County, Wis., when a young man of 20 years, in 1859. At one time he was acquainted with every man in the county without considering that he had a very wide acquaintance.

He farmed in the summers, clearing a little land with his brother Charles, who had come here two years before. About 1860 he secured a tract of land of forty acres in section 35, in what is now York Township. There was no road, but a trail which was known as the Stevens Point Road passed the place. On this tract, Mr. Renne built a frame house from lumber cut in his brother's mill, and here in 1861 they were joined by their father and mother, living the rest of their lives here. About the same time Hiram W. Renne married Eveline Marsh, a daughter of Levi Marsh, and together they began to clear their land. Though they began with practically nothing, but their hands, they soon got an ox team and a cow. Mr. Renne got their supplies generally at Weston Rapids, six miles away, carrying them home on his back.

In 1885 he moved to Sherman Township, getting a tract of 200 acres in section 29, where he now resides. The place in York Township had been well cleared and improved. The new farm was also improved to some extent and there was an old log house on it. Mr. Renne built a good house and barns and subsequently made further improvements. He helped to establish the cheese factory in this locality. At times he has served in public office and was clerk of Weston Township soon after coming to Clark County, when that township formed a large part of the county.

He has also been chairman of Sherman township one year. When he :first came to the county there were but three townships: Levis, Pine Valley and Weston, and since then he has witnessed many remarkable changes in the development of the county, in the benefits of which he has participated. He has always been a Republican in politics.

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