Bio: Marsh, Joseph C. (1923)
Contact: Ken Wood.

----Surnames: Marsh, Taylor, Covey, MaComber, McKinney

----Source: History of Wood County, Wis. (1923) pages 311-312

Joseph C. Marsh, president of the First National Bank of Marshfield, head of the telephone exchange, and former legislator, was born in Bradford, Penn., Jan. 1, 1852, son of Nelson and Rocelia (Taylor) Marsh. Both parents were natives of Pennsylvania, the father having been born in Middletown, Aug. 14, 1828, and the mother in Bradford, Sept. 13, 1831. The former was a cooper by trade. It was in 1857 that Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Marsh came west with their family and settled at what is now Granton village in Clark County, Wis., where they homesteaded 160 acres of wild land. There were few settlers in the county at that time and they lived for years amid pioneer conditions. Joseph C., who was five years old on their arrival, grew up on the home farm and soon began to attend the district school. Some years afterwards he became a student in Oskaloosa College in Iowa, and subsequently followed school teaching for several years in Clark County, leaving home at the age of 21. After that, up to 1879, he followed logging and lumbering and built and operated a sawmill. In 1901 he came from Clark County to Marshfield and bought the Marshfield Telephone Exchange, which then had 84 paid subscribers but now has over 1,500, and of which he has been the president ever since. Mr. Marsh became connected with the First National Bank in 1905, served as its vice president for some years, and since 1918 has been its president. Politically he has always been a staunch Republican and from 1895 to 1899 he represented Clark County as an assemblyman. He was also chairman of the Clark county board for two terms. In Marshfield he served 15 years as president of the board of education. In the Masonic order Mr. Marsh has attained to the thirty-second degree. He is a member of the Blue Lodge in Marshfield and of Tripoli Shrine in Milwaukee. In all public capacities he has followed the lines of duty and principle, has kept his integrity unspotted and striven to serve his fellow men. On July 21, 1884, Mr. Marsh was married in Clark County, Wis., to Amy E. Covey, who was born in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., July 19, 1865, daughter of Martin and Mary (Macomber) Covey. She accompanied her parents to Clark County, Wis., when a child, the Covey family settling near the Marsh home. To Mr. and Mrs. Marsh two children have been born: Martina M., Sept. 28, 1888, and Joseph C., May 6, 1900. Martina M. is now Mrs. Fred McKinney of Chicago. Joseph C. Marsh, who enlisted for service in the World War and was sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, for training. He was taken sick with acute appendicitis and died June 29, 1918. His remains were brought home and interred in Marshfield cemetery, his life being as truly a sacrifice to the cause of right as though he had laid it down on the battle fields of France.