Samuel William Bolton

October 28, 1856 - August 9, 1914

Samuel Bolton was an early settler of York Township.  He was a son of Joseph Shepard and Mary (nee Walton) Bolton,[i] The 1860 Federal Census for Hubbard Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin lists a Joseph (a clergyman) and Mary Bolton living with three sons and a daughter:  C. (Caleb) W., Joseph A.W., Samuel W. and and Sarah P.  Similarly, the 1870 Federal Census for Lamartine Township, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin shows a Joseph (a preacher) and Mary Bolton living with four sons and two daughters:  Caleb, Joseph, Samuel W., Sarah P., Martha S. and Wesley.  Coincidently, the same 1870 Census indicates that Jasper Fisher also lived in Lamartine Township with his wife, Adeline, and three daughters: Ida, Florence, and Mabel.  Jasper Fisher was also an early setter of York Township.

Probably sometime in the late 1870s, Samuel Bolton married Emma Schell.  The 1880 Federal Census for Brothertown Township, Calumet County, Wisconsin lists a Samuel and Emma Bolton living with a son, Hezekiah.  The order of the census listing conveys that Sam and Emma Bolton were probably living adjacent to Emma's brother-in-law and older sister, Nelson and Cornelia (nee Schell) LaPrairie and their three children: Charles, Lillie and Ruby.

Samuel and Emma Bolton probably came to York from Calumet County in late 1880.  An 1880 plat map shows an S. W. Bolton owning 40 acres in Section 34 of York Township.  In addition, the autograph book of their niece, Lillie LaPraire (Glenn Lavey’s mother) contains an entry that indicates that Samuel Bolton lived in York Township on April 23, 1882.  As implied earlier, Lillie LaPrairie, later married Frank Lavey, and they came to Grant Township, Clark County, Wisconsin in 1901.  Frank and Lillie Lavey later relocated to York Township in the 1920s.  Likewise, Emma Bolton's youngest sister, Ella, married Hubert Graves.  Hubert and Ella (nee Schell) Graves came to York Township in 1901.  Hubert and Ella Graves and their daughter and son, Ethel and Dwight Graves are also buried at the York Center Cemetery.

Emma Bolton was a school teacher.  Many news excerpts from issues of the Republican and Press indicate that she taught in various schools in the central Clark County area during the late 19th century.

Samuel and Emma Bolton' s son, Hugh, died at the age of 17 of typhoid fever in 1897.  The age of Hugh at his death corresponds the age of Hezekiah listed in the 1880 census so it is very probable that they are the same person.  Their youngest daughter, Eva, also passed away relatively young in 1916 at the age of 30.  Samuel Bolton’s other child was a daughter, Marion Bolton.  She and Robert Thomson were married at York Center Methodist Church in 1909.  Marion and Robert Thomson originally lived on a farm on County Highway H in Section 9; a farm that was formerly owned by Charles H. Benedict (the third son of Adonijah Benedict) and later sold to Leo Kronberger after the Thomsons relocated to Washington State.

Sometime in the early 1900s, the Samuel and Emma Bolton family relocated from Section 34 to Section 9 in York Township to live on a farm just west of the farm owned by Sanford and Margaret Benedict and east of the farm owned by Leonard and Barbara Kronberger.  (Many years later, Emma Bolton's great-grand nephew, Norbert Lavey, would marry Jean Kronberger, the great-grand daughter of Sanford and Margaret Benedict and the grand daughter of Leonard and Barbara Kronberger.)  Family records indicate that Eva and Marion Bolton were friends with Belle Benedict (later Mrs. Guy Smith), the only daughter of Sanford and Margaret Benedict.  The photo to the left shows Eva Bolton, Belle Benedict, and Marion Bolton (left to right.)

As the census listings indicate, Samuel Bolton was a brother to Wesley F. Bolton.  Research shows that Wesley Bolton was a cheesemaker that lived in York and Weston Townships during the late 19th century.  Clark County marriage records[ii] indicate that on January 29, 1888; a Wesley F. Bolton, son of Joseph and Mary Bolton married Florence J. Fisher, a daughter of Jasper and Adeline Fisher.  As indicated earlier in this bio, Jasper and Adeline Fisher were early pioneers of York Township; they are also buried in York Center Cemetery.  The February 2, 1888 issue of the Republican and Press confirms that the Bolton-Fisher marriage took place in York Township at the residence of Mrs. S. (Samuel) D. Gibson.  Therefore, it is likely that Mrs. Gibson was the former Sarah Bolton and a sister to Wesley and Samuel Bolton.  The 1880 Federal Census for York Township lists a S.D. Gibson, living with his wife, Sarah, and two daughters, Mabel and Effie.  Subsequent records indicate that Wesley F. Bolton married Mabel Sprague (from Weston Township, Clark County) on July 19, 1899.  Therefore, either Florence passed away sometime after her marriage to Wesley Bolton or they divorced.  In addition, newspaper excerpts from the Republican and Press issues in the 1890s imply that Samuel D. Gibson was married to Nora Sutherland.  Therefore, it is probable that Sarah (nee Bolton) may have passed away in the late 1880s.  In fact, S.D Gibson relocated from York Township, Clark County, Wisconsin to Kansas in 1897 and the 1900 Federal Census for Winfield City, Cowley County, Kansas lists an S.D. Gibson living with his wife, Nora and eight children:  Mabel, Effie, Samuel, Calista, James, Gertrude, Joseph and Estella.  Based on the ages listed for the children, Mabel, Effie, Samuel and Calista were probably the children of Samuel and Sarah (nee Bolton) Gibson while James, Gertrude, Joseph and Estella were probably the children of Samuel and Nora (nee Sutherland) Gibson.  Based on research, it is also believed that Samuel and Sarah Gibson may have had two more children:  Carl, who probably died as a young child and is buried at York Center Cemetery and Sadie, who became the adopted daughter of Samuel and Minnie Adams.

Another of Samuel Bolton's brothers, Joseph A.W. Bolton also lived in the Clark County area.  The 1880 Federal Census for York Township, Clark County lists a J. A. Bolton living with his wife, Sophronia, and two daughters, Myrtle and Margaret.  News excerpts from the Republican and Press issues in the 1890s imply that Joseph Bolton then became a Free Methodist minister at Humbird (Mentor Township, Clark County), Wisconsin.  An excerpt from the May 10, 1894 issue indicates that Mrs. J.A. Bolton died during that month.  Joseph must have re-married as the 1900 Federal Census for New Haven Township, Huron County, Ohio shows a Joseph Bolton (preacher) living with his wife Helen and the following children:  Margaret, Oscar, Julia and Agnes.  Likewise, the 1910 Federal Census for Ripley Township, Holmes County, Ohio shows a Joseph Bolton (clergyman) living with his wife, Helen, and the following children:  Julia, Agnes, Helen and Wesley.  Finally, the 1920 Federal Census for Greenville, Bond County, Illinois indicates that a Joseph Bolton was living with his wife, Helen, and two children, Helen and Wesley.  The obituary for Eva Bolton indicates that the illness that led to her death came about in 1916 while visiting Greenville, Illinois.  Most likely she was visiting her uncle, Joseph Bolton, and his family in Greenville, Illinois.

Finally, Samuel Bolton's other sister, Martha, is believed to have been the wife of Thomas Galland.  The 1880 Federal Census for Nelsonville, Portage County, Wisconsin lists a Thomas Galland living with his wife, Martha, and their daughter, Mary and son, Alpheus.  That Alpheus Galland is believed to be the same young man that died in March 1899 and that is presumably buried at York Center Cemetery in a lot owned by the Gallands.  The 1900 Federal Census for Sherman Township, Clark County shows a Thomas Galland living with his wife, Martha and their eight children:  Clara, Drusilla, Phebe, Ethel, Bede, Prudence, Mae and Faith.