Bio: Biron, Julian (Commemorative Bio - 1895)

Poster: Crystal Wendt

Julian Biron

Julian Biron is one of the worthy citizens of Merrill, Lincoln County, who have come into the United States from Canada. He was born near Sherbrooke, Canada, in May, 1837, and is a son of Antoine Biron. The latter was born near Three Rivers, Canada, of French descent, his father being born in France. The later was a young man on his arrival in Canada, and was there married, becoming the father of six children, namely: Gabriel, Augustine, Joseph, Agnes, Frances and Antoine. He was a native of Leo, France, and before crossing the Atlantic had served for a time in the French Army. Both he and his wife died in Canada. Antoine Biron was a carpenter by trade, and died in 1848. He had married Isabel Buisier, who was also a native of Canada and of French descent, and their union was blessed with six children, only two of whom, Eleanor, and Julia, are living; those deceased are Sophia, who died at the age of twenty; Matilda at the age of twenty-four; and the others who died in infancy. The mother died in 1861.

The gentleman, whose name introduces their review, grew up in Canada, and there received a very meager education. At the age of eighteen he left home going to Boston, Mass., where he worked in a brickyard two summers, but the winders of those years he spent in Canada. In the spring of 1856 he came to Two Rivers, Manitowoc co., Wis., and worked for three months in a sawmill, at the end of which time he went on Lake Michigan as a fisherman. For three seasons he followed fishing when he hired out as a farm hand near Cooperstown, Wis., and there remained for a year and a half. In 1859, in company with nine others, he started for Pike’s Peak, leaving Green Bay, Wis., with a horse-team and drove to Denver, Colo., where he was engaged in prospecting for some time, when, in the fall of 1861, he returned to Wisconsin and resumed fishing. This he continued to follow until 1864, when he went to Grand Rapids, Wis., there hiring out as a common laborer for one winter. He commenced worked in a sawmill as head sawyer in the spring of 1865, at which occupation he continued until the fall of 1879, when he came to Jennie, now Merrill, Lincoln County. He had accompanied a Mr. Scott, and, at this place, rebuilt an old mill for that gentleman, and has since been in the employ of the Scott Lumber Company. He enlarged their mill for one with a rotary saw until it now has a capacity of 150,000 feet of lumber per day. He seems to be a natural millwright, ranking among the first in that line, though never having learned the trade.

In 1865, Mr. Biron at Grand Rapids, Wis., was united in marriage with Harriet Bubloz, who was born in Switzerland in 1848, and to the union were born the following named five children: Emma, Joseph, Elenore, Louis, and Blanche. Mrs. Biron is a daughter of Louis and Louisa (Panchaud) Bubloz, and is one of three children, namely: Ellen, Charles and Harriet. Her father came to America in 1850, and three years later was joined by his family, they settling in Grand Rapids, Wis., where his death occurred in 1855. Subsequently the mother married George Zenier, who was born in Metz, Germany, and by this marriage there were three children, George, Emma and Alexander. Mr. Zenier died in 1890, and Mrs. Zenier in 1892. They were both members of the Congregational Church.

The subject of this sketch is a man who is thoroughly honest, upright and reliable, and is a good workman, having aided in the erection of many of the largest mills in this portion of the State, among which are those at Grand Rapids and Port Edwards. He has the respect and esteem of the citizens of Merrill, and is a valued member of the community.

---Source: Commemorative Biographical Record of the Upper Wisconsin Counties of Waupaca, Portage, Wood, Marathon, Lincoln, Oneida, Vilas, Langlade and Shawano. publ. 1895 by J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago 1110 pages, illustrated; Page 247-248