Bio: Hanifin, Thomas (1923)

Contact: Ken Wood.

----Surnames: Hanifin, Barry, Conway, White, Doyle, Johnson, McCamley, Rouhan, Reidy, Pleckham, Olson

----Source: History of Wood County, Wis. (1923) pages 567-568

Thomas Hanifin, a respected citizen of Sigel Township, representing a well known family of Wood County pioneers, was born Jan. 24, 1851, at Cande village, Mass., son of Patrick and Mary (Barry) Hanifin. The parents were natives of Ireland, of County Kerry and Kilarney respectively. The father came to the United States in 1847, landing at Boston; the mother came two years later, and both worked in the cotton and woolen mills until 1853, when they moved to Iron Ridge, Mass., where the father obtained employment in the capacity of freight agent. In 1857 he decided to fare westward, and did so in a style that few of the younger generation of today would care to emulate, though so far as "seeing the country" is concerned there is nothing to excel it; Mr. Hanifin drove the entire distance from Iron Ridge, Mass., to Wood County, Wis., with a team of oxen and a cow. On his arrival, which eventually took place, he purchased 80 acres of wild land in Section 22, Sigel Township. In this wilderness he built a small frame shanty and set to work to develop a farm. He was joined by his family in January, 1859, they having come by rail to New Lisbon and by stage from that point. The land was truly a primitive one; Centralia, now a portion of Wis. Rapids, consisted of only a few shanties, and the life of the settler of that day was one of toil and hardship. Mr. Hanifin's original house he later replaced by a log structure; he and his family carried on. the work of clearing the property, and gradually the tillable acres increased and adequate buildings arose, and another prosperous, productive farm was added to the list of Wood County agricultural properties.

Mr. Hanifin, Sr., passed away in 1872 and Mrs. Hanifin in 1892. They were the parents of six children. of whom one, Elizabeth, is now deceased; those living are: Thomas, Mary, Johanna, Nellie, and Margaret. Elizabeth was the wife of John Conway. Mary married Joseph White, of Vesper. Johanna is Mrs. Peter Doyle, of Medford. Wis. Nellie is the wife of Nels Johnson, of Wis. Rapids. Margaret is Mrs. Peter McCamley, of Wis. Rapids. Thomas Hanifin, coming to Wood County with his mother in 1859, took a valuable part in developing the Hanifin property; he attended school here, and has made his life-work the developing and carrying on of this farm. Since his father's death he has operated it for his own account, it having been deeded to him at that time. He completed the clearing of the land, built the house and barn, and brought the equipment up to modern standards. He is successfully carrying on general farming and dairying, milking from fifteen to eighteen cows. Mr. Hanifin was married at Rudolph, Wis., Jan. 10, 1888, to Maria Rouhan, daughter of Patrick and Mary (Reidy) Rouhan; Mrs. Hanifin's parents, both of whom are now deceased, were very prominent citizens of Wood County during their lives; they were pioneers here, and the father played a very prominent part in the development of this section of the country. Mr. and Mrs. Hanifin have seven children: Leo, Nellie, Ruby, Bernard, Maria, Francis, and Dorothy. Nellie is now Mrs. Harvey Pleckham, of Marshfield. Ruby is Mrs. John Olson, of Sigel Township. Maria is teaching school. The boys are assisting the father in the operation of the farm. The family are members of the Catholic Church. Their name is closely associated with much of the history of Wood County. Besides his valuable work in the early agricultural development of Wood County, Patrick Hanifin, father of Thomas, served as the first clerk of Sigel Township.