Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2025 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== History of Buffalo & Pepin Counties, Wisconsin - Vol. 1 pub. H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co., Winona, MN - 1919 [page 136-137] ANDREW BARTH, one of the sturdy pioneers of Buffalo county, who developed a farm in Cross township, was born in Alsace, France, Nov. 16, 1829, and came to the United States at the age of 19 years. In May, 1853, he arrived at Holmes Landing, now Fountain City, and there, within what are now the city limits, he pur- chased a piece of land on which, with the assistance of LAWRENCE DRESSENDORFER and JOHN HUESSINGER he built a log house. After remaining on that place for a year and a half young BARTH traded it for 160 acres of land in Indian Valley, sections 25 and 30, Cross township (where his son ANDREW now lives) and started to develop the tract. He had at that time one yoke of oxen and a cow. Young and strong, and of a naturally industrious disposi- tion, he made progress, and at the end of five years, or in 1860, he found himself in a position to marry and chose for his wife MARY SULLIVAN. She proved a good helpmate to him and they advanced gradually on the road to prosperity, in time MR. BARTH becoming the owner of 480 acres of land. The family residence for a number of years was a small frame house which he built on the side of the hill, and into which they moved from the original log structure. Later MR. BARTH erected on the site of the latter building a more pretentious residence, and also put up a basement barn 36 by 80 feet. The farm was supplied with water from a fine spring close to the house. Thus step by step MR. BARTH rose in prosperity, his arduous labors and those of his estimable wife bearing good fruit; and in addition to his material advancement he also gained a high place in the the estimation of the fellow citizens. He voted at the first election held in Buffalo county, casting his vote at Fountain City, the polls and ballot box being located in an old boat. There were at that election but eighteen voters. MR. BARTH also served as interpreter at the first law suit held in the county, a fact which shows that he was not only a man of quick intelligence, but that he had taken pains to acquire an early and practical know- ledge of the English language, and was fitted to assume all the responsibilities and enjoy the privileges of an American citizen. For a number of years he served efficiently as a member of the school board of his district, and, as a faithful member of the Catholic church he helped to build the first church edifice of that organization in his locality. MR. BARTH continued to be more or less active until reaching the age of 75 years, when he retired, and he and his wife took up their residence in Fountain City. There he passed away in 1910 at the advanced age of 80 years. MRS. BARTH still resides in Fountain City, being now 77 years old. Thirteen children were born to them, namely: LOUIS G., ANNA M., JOSEPH G., PETER J., ANDREW E., WILLIAM H., CHRISTIAN J., GEORGE A., JOSEPH- INE M., JEANETTE C., ALVINA R., DANIEL and ELIZABETH. The two last mentioned died in infancy, and of the others the record in brief is as follows: LOUIS G., who is now a resident of Billings, Mont., married MARY ZIEGWEID, and has five children, CLEMENTS A., ROY G., JOSEPH A., WILLIAM C. and ClAUDE. ANNA M. is the widow of A. E. GERLACH and resides in Fountain City. She has one child, ALETHEA, now a student in St. Teresa College at Winona. JOSEPH G. died at the age of 26 years. PETER J., who is publisher of the Winona (Minn.) Weekly Leader, married ROSA RUPPERT, and has three chil- dren, EMMETT A., CLARENCE G. and NORMAN A. ANDREW E. is a farmer in Cross township, Buffalo county. He married ROSA ROTERING and has eight children, VIOLA, ANDREW, EVELYN, MARCELLA, FLORA, RALPH, LORAINE and ROMAN. WILLIAM H. is a prominent dentist at Great Falls, Mont. CHRISTIAN J., who is a merchant at Parshall, N. D., married LUCY PARENT and has one child, ETHEL. GEORGE A., who is manager of the Bell Telephone system at Sioux Falls, S. D., married ELEANOR HENGLE and has one child, LENOR. JOSEPHINE M. is now MRS. THOMAS KIRK of Ortonville, Minn., and has one child, THOMAS B. JEANETTE C. is the wife of GEORGE WEISENBERGER of Arcadia, Wis. ALVINA R., who became the wife of GEORGE DUFF, died at the age of 28 years, leaving one child, VIRGINIA, who resides with her aunt, Mrs. A. E. GERLACH of Fountain City. ==============================================================================