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"History of Northern Wisconsin, 1881"

Eau Claire Biographical Sketches

(-as transcribed from pages 314 - 338)

"P" Surnames

PARKER, Edward H. (Dr.)
PECK, Alberson C.
PETTEPHER, John
PHILLIPS, Bentley S.
PHILLIPS, S. H.
PINKUM, John P.
PIPER, C. A.
PLAYTER, E. H.
PRESCOTT, George W.
PUTNAM, Henry C.

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PARKER, Edward H. (Dr.)

DR. EDWARD H. PARKER came to Eau Claire, July 12, 1879. He was born at Hartford, Washington Co., in November, 1854, and moved to Fond du Lac when thirteen years of age. In 1876, he graduated from the Fond du Lac High School; then read medicine with Drs. Palchen and Bishop, of that place; he graduated at Hahnemann Medical College, Chicago, and had one year's experience as house surgeon of a hospital; he commenced practice in Eau Claire in 1879, with Dr. Dwight W. Day, and remained with him until May, 1881. He was married in Chicago, Dec. 25, 1880, to Miss Anna Stella Clarke, a native of that city.

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PECK, Alberson C.

ALBERSON C. PECK, passenger engineer, C., St. P., M. & 0. R. R., Eau Claire, came to Wisconsin in 1857, and located at Tomah; he ran a stationary engine for four years, and was then fireman on M. & St. P. R., running out of Milwaukee, for four years; afterward, promoted to engineer, which position he filled for about three years. He returned to Tomah and opened the Rockwood House, in the Fall of 1867; carried it on for two years, then engaged with the C., St. P., M. & O. R. R. Co., in the construction department; afterward, as passenger engineer; then two years as master mechanic; then, again, as passenger engineer, in which capacity he has been since. Came to Eau Claire to reside about nine years ago. He was born in Freedom, N. Y., Sept. 7, 1840, and married some years ago; he has three children - Annie May, Vernon and Ida Belle.

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PETTEPHER, John

JOHN PETTEPHER, carpenter and builder, Eau Claire, came to Wisconsin, June 23, 1849, and located at Portage; he followed farming and carpentering up to 1856, and then came to Eau Claire. He built James Reid block, in 1857, assisted in building Eau Claire Hotel block, and several private residences; owns a farm of 200 acres, mostly improved, four miles out of Eau Claire. Was born in England, Dec. 26, 1815; married there, Jan. 31, 1837, to Mary Ann King, who was born in London; they came to America in 1849.

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PHILLIPS, Bentley S.

BENTLEY S. PHILLIPS came to Eau Claire in 1863, but at the close of the Summer, returned to New York City, and in 1865, came again to Eau Claire, engaging in mercantile pursuits. He was employed by Wilson & Foster, by the Northwestern Lumber Co. and the Eau Claire Lumber Co. He left the employ of the Eau Claire Lumber Co. in January, 1877, and was elected City Treasurer the following April. He is now serving his fifth term as City Treasurer, and is in the wholesale and retail grocery business, in partnership with John Hunner, under the firm name of Phillips & Hunner; they established this business in February, 1881. Mr. Phillips was born in Westville, Franklin Co., N. Y., July 4, 1844, and when six years of age, came with his parents to Waushara County. In 1854, he returned to Malone, Franklin Co., N. Y., where he enlisted, and May 15, 1861, he was mustered into the U. S. service, in Co. I, 16th N. Y. Vol. Inf., and at the close of two years service, was mustered out. He was married in Eau Claire, Aug. 20, 1868, to Isabella Nary, who was born in Maine. They have one child living, Kate A.; their only son was drowned, July 7, 1880, aged seven years. Mr. Phillips is a member of the I. O. O. F., Encampment, Knights of Pythias, and of the A. O. U. W.

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PHILLIPS, S. H.

S. H. PHILLIPS, filer, Dells Lumber Co., Eau Claire, was born in Canada West, Feb. 8, 1831. Came West with his parents, about 1845. They settled in Manitowoc County. The subject of this sketch engaged in filing, milling and sawing in Manitowoc County, and from there he went to Sauk County, remaining about three years. In the year 1869, he moved to Eau Claire, and in 1873, engaged in the mill where he is at present. Was married, Feb. 12, 1856, at Two Rivers, Manitowoc Co., to Martha Kingsland. They have had nine children; eight survive - Estelle (now Mrs. A. McDonald), Annie L.. Mary E., Minnie, Hattie, Eva, Mattie, Fred. Is a member of the I. O. O. F. of Manitowoc.

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PINKUM, John P.

JOHN P. PINKUM, of Empire Lumber Co., Eau Claire, came to Wisconsin in 1855, and located at Eau Claire. Was employed as carpenter and millwright until 1862; then employed by Dole, Ingram & Kennedy, as engineer in saw mill for one season; assisted in building present saw mill, in the Fall of 1863, for Ingram, Kennedy & Co.; he was then a partner in the concern. The firm, in 1881, formed into what is now called the Empire Lumber Co., of which he is a member, and acts as manager of the mills for that company. He was born in Starks, Somerset Co., Me., Aug. 26, 1834. Was married in Orleans, N. Y., April 12, 1855, to Elmira Hooker, who was born in New York. They have four children living - Nellie, Netta, Myra and Annie. They have lost five sons.

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PIPER, C. A.

C. A. PIPER, 1st engineer, Daniel Shaw Lumber Co., Eau Claire, was born in Somerset County, Me., Jan. 23, 1833; came to Wisconsin in 1857; located at Eau Claire, and has been employed with the Daniel Shaw Lumber Co. since, first as sawyer, and for some years as engineer. Is a member of Knights of Pythias, of Eau Claire. He was married in Allegany County, N. Y., June 12, 1856, to Annie Hutchins, who was born in Maine. They celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of their wedding, in June last.

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PLAYTER, E. H.

E. H. PLAYTER, druggist, came to Eau Claire, June 8, 1857, and engaged in lumbering business with Ingram & Kennedy for five years; then, after being in drug business for four or five years, was in the employ of Ingram & Kennedy again for seven years. He was the first City Treasurer, serving five consecutive terms; he was Town Treasurer of the old town of West Eau Claire, in 1862, and held that office most of the time until the organization of the city; he has been Treasurer, for about ten years, of the West Side Joint School District No. 3. He established his present business in 1874. in partnership with L. E. Latimer, who still continues with him. Mr. Playter was born in Ottawa, Canada West, Jan. 1, 1839, and lived there, with the exception of one year, until he came to Eau Claire. He was married in Eau Claire, in December, 1862, to Marie U. Denison, who was born in Madison County, N. Y., and died, Jan. 6, 1880, leaving two children, Charles H. and Owen D. Mrs. Playter was a daughter of U. T. and Mary (Randall) Denison. She came to Eau Claire in 1857, where her father died; her mother is still living here. Mr. Playter is a member of the A. F. & A. M.

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PRESCOTT, George W.

GEORGE W. PRESCOTT, vice-president Dells Lumber Co., Eau Claire, was born in Belknap Co., N. H., Sept. 13, 1837, and came West with his parents, in 1855, who settled in Columbia County. Mr. Prescott came to Eau Claire in 1856, and engaged in different branches of the lumbering business. Two years previous to forming firm of Prescott & Burdett, was engaged in steamboating on the river in the capacity of engineer. In the year 1867, built mills which were afterward transferred to present company. Married in the city of Fond du Lac, to Miss Clara Clark. They have two children, Mattie and Ida. Mr. P. is a member of the Masonic Fraternity.

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PUTNAM, Henry C.

HENRY C. PUTNAM, banker, came to Eau Claire as a civil engineer, and laid out the present town. He was born in Madison, N.Y., March 6, 1832, and is a son of Hamilton and Jeanette Cleavland Putnam (both living now, and residing in Cortland Co., N.Y.) They are the tenth generation from the original Putnam family, five removes from Gen. Putnam. Mr. H. C. Putnam lived in Cortland until he was eighteen years old, when he commenced railroad engineering, having graduated after a three years course in the Gold Engineering School in Connecticut. He was employed three years on the New York railroads, two and one-half in Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee, in civil engineering. In 1815, he came to Hudson, and was connected with the North Wisconsin, and Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien roads about a year; was then engaged in surveying and locating lands in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and came to Eau Claire, May 23, 1857. He has been County Surveyer ten years, Register of Deeds eight years; from 1864 to 1870, was acting Register of United States Land Office, and has held various other offices. He is one of the proprietors of the Chippewa Valley Bank, and is one of the directors of the Dells Improvement Co., besides being connected with various other enterprises. Mr. Putnam is a member of the American Association of Mining Engineers, and is Special United State Census Agent, having charge of Forestry Department. He was married at Eau Claire, Aug. 8. 1858, to Jane E. Balcom, who was born in Oxford, Chenango Co., N.Y., and is a daughter of Harry Balcom, a prominent citizen of that place. They have two children living, Ernest B,, born in October, 1860, and Sara Lynn, born in October, 1862. Lost four children.


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