BIO: SAMUEL HOWDEN

1843-Aft 1900

Compiled by: Leland Howden GEN13 Sources: Biographical History of Clark and Jackson Counties, Wisconsin

Biography: SAMUEL HOWDEN

Born: August 15, 1843, Canada West, forty miles north of Toronto, Ontario

Parents: James Howden (age 30) and Ann Hicks (died in 1844 when Sam was 9 months old)

Marriage: Hester Cummins, October 3, 1869 in La Crosse, Hamilton TWP, Wisconsin, 10 children

Death: Aft 1900

Samuel Howden, of Section 15, Eaton Township, Clark County, Wisconsin was born in Canada West, forty miles north of Toronto Ontario on August 15, 1843 the son of James Howden, a native of County Fermanagh, Ireland (now North Ireland). He came to Canada when a young man, where he worked at his trade of wagon-making the remainder of his life, the last ten years of which was spent in County Lambton. Samuel's mother, Ann Hicks, a native of Ireland, died when Samuel was nine months old. He was brought up on a farm, and also followed carpentry a number of years. In 1863 he came to the United States, stopping first at West Salem, La Crosse County, Wisconsin which was his home for nine years.

During the winters he worked in the pineries, and on a farm during the summers. He came to Clark County in the fall of 1872, locating in Eaton Township, which he has since made his home. When he first came here the Indians and wild animals were numerous, and the wolves made the nights hideous. Mr. Howden settled on his present farm in the spring of 1874, where he owns eighty acres, one-forth of which is cleared. It was located about 2 miles south of Greenwood.

He was married, October 3, 1870 to Hester Cummins, daughter of George E Cummins (deceased) and Rosanna M. (McMullen) Cummins, the former a native of Rochester and the lattter of Buffalo, New York. True to their Irish heritage, Sam and Hester was known to have quite a few family disagreements, punctuated with flying dishes. On one occasion they had a fight and broke up a lot of dishes and it was said that Hester had a cracked bowl laid up for the next fight. Albert Dunn said old Sam and the Meeks and some other Irishmen were pretty hard on the booze which may have contributed to the fights.

George E. Cummins settled in La Crosse County in the fall of 1865, where he lived until his death. He was a soldier in the United States Army during the civil war.

His biography stated that "Mr Howden never seeks office, but was prevailed upon to assess the town in 1889". Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Church and he is a Republican in his political views.

Samuel (age 64 and Hester (age57) sold their 80 acres farm, described as N1/2 of West Qtr of Sect 15, Township 26N, Range 2 West on October 19, 1907 for $2000 to Robert H. Syth, who also owned the adjacent 80 acres. No record was located to indicate where they moved following the sale, and the current Syths have no knowledge of Robert Syth or the Howdens, except that the Syths also camd from Canada in the 1870’s and had changed their name from Forsyth.

Children:

MAUDE R. HOWDEN, b. abt 1873; m. JOHN W. KILLINGSBECK on 24 Dec 1891 in Greenwood City, Clark Co, WI.

SAMUEL JOHN HOWDEN, b. Apr 29, 1874, Eaton TWP m. FLORENCE DUNN on Apr 18, 1905

JAMES B. HOWDEN

GEORGE F. HOWDEN, b. Jul 1878; m. AUGUSTA, b. abt 1891

LOTTY HOWDEN, b. 1881; m. OWEN VAN KIRK

HESTER (HETTY) A. HOWDEN, b. Sep 1883

WILLIAM (BILL) M. HOWDEN, b. Sep 1875

NELLIE F. HOWDEN, b. Dec 1887

LILLIE (BIRD) HOWDEN, b. abt 1889

HARRY C. HOWDEN, b. Apr 1890