Adams County Wisconsin Genealogy

Transcribed by Christy Janke

Source: Memorial and Biographical Record and Illustrated Compendium of Biography of Citizens of Columbia, Sauk and Adams Counties, Wisconsin, published 1901 by G. A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1901, Pages 299 - 300

Newel Carpenter, a prominent agriculturist and millwright, residing on section thirty-five, in White Creek township, Adams county, has been a member of the farming community since 1850, and has been a potent factor in its upbuilding. He has a pleasant estate, and is engaged in general farming and raises some stock.

Mr. Carpenter was born in Sutton, Massachusetts, January 24, 1823, and was the son of John and Abigail ( Healey) Carpenter. The family resided in Massachusetts many years, and the father of our subject was the fourth in a family of five children, and was a wheelwright by trade.

Until eighteen years of age Newel Carpenter resided at home, attending school and assisting his father, and was then apprenticed to V. C. Hooker, of Sutton, to learn the trade of millwright. He received for the first year's work forty dollars in money and three months' schooling, and the contract was for three years. However, his employer accepted a contract in Mexico and gave our subject his time and set of tools, most of which he still has in his possession. He was apt and showed such competency after one years' work, that the well known contractor and millwright of Sutton, Jonathan Dudley, engaged him as overseer of his workmen. He then continued thus three yaers, and then, at the age of twenty-two years, worked for himself, and was engaged on mill work for the woolen and cotton mills in Worcester, Massachusetts, and was also engaged in the car shops of the railway company of that place. He went to Skowhegan Falls, Maine, at the age of thirty years, and was employed in a number of factories, and was proprietor of a sash and blind factory in that city, and was the builder of several starch factories. He also employed a number of hands in the manufacture of pill boxes, and Brown Thompson, of Boston, bought their entire output. In the spring of 1850 Mr. Carpenter went to White Creek, Adams county, Wisconsin, and took land on section thirty-five, where he has since resided. He has a good residence on the estate, and modern conveniences and good barns. He built a saw-mill on the farm in 1862, which he operated continuously until the present year, when in February the mill burned, and was a total loss, including planing mill, shingle machine and feed mill. He contemplates erecting another sawmill at once. He removed to Ableman, Sauk county, in 1893, where he built a flour and grist-mill, which he owned for four years, and afterward returned to White Creek. He has built a number of mills around the country, including those at Poynette, Elroy, Sumner, and Easton. He is a lover of horses, and for many years had a horse which could shake the dust into all comers' eyes, and has had great fun at the county fairs. Mr. Carpenter is possessed of much mechanical ingenuity, and for a number of years has done the work of the country, from repairing watches to guns and sulkies. He has two patent rights, one hop press, and the other a conveyor for a hearse, the latter bearing patents under date of December 28, 1897, in the United States and Canada.

Mr. Carpenter was married, January 15, 1845, to Charlotte T. Arnold, daughter of Nathan Arnold, of Sutton, Massachusetts. Mrs. Carpenter died November 12, 1845, leaving one child, Charlotte A., born November 11, 1845, now residing in Worcester, Massachusetts. Mr. Carpenter married Mary Elizabeth Maxfield, daughter of James Maxfield, of Mount Vernon, Kennebec county, Maine, February 21, 1847. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter, as follows: Abner, born July 13, 1858, engineer of Chicago Northwestern Railway; Frank, born September 18, 1854, millwright, residing at Reedsburg ; Alice, born October 25, 1860, residing at Milwaukee, Wisconsin ; Newel, born July 12, 1868, residing at home ; Leonard, born November 12, 1872, employed on the Chicago Northwestern Railway. Mr. Carpenter is a genial, clever man, and much respected in his community. He is a stauch Democrat in political sentiment, but does not seek public favor. He is interested in the welfare of his township and aids in every public enterprise.