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Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott
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Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott
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History of Buffalo & Pepin Counties, Wisconsin - Vol. 1
pub. H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co., Winona, MN - 1919

         [page 160-161]
         
         VINCENT HURLBURT, one of the leading citizens of Maxville
       township, Buffalo county, where he has resided for the last
       61 years, engaged in farming and bee keeping, and also serv-
       ing as justice of the peace, and chairman of both Nelson and
       Maxville townships, was born in St. Lawrence county, New York,
       Aug. 13, 1837, son of HORACE and HANNAH (MILLER) HURLBURT.
       The father was a native of the same county and was of Italian
       and German ancestry, while the mother, who was born in Vermont,
       came of Irish stock. VINCENT, who was the first born in a fam-
       ily of nine children, resided in his native state until arriv-
       ing at the age of 17 years. Then, seized with the spirit of
       adventure, and desirous of seeing something of the West, in
       which people from many parts of the world were then seeking
       their fortune, he left home and came to Dane county, Wiscon-
       sin, where he found work at $1.25 a day. As he also enjoyed
       his surroundings and liked the country, he wrote home, giving
       a favorable account of it, and a year after his own arrival,
       his father also came to Dane county, with the other members
       of the family. They did not remain long there, however, as
       in the following year, two years after VINCENT'S arrival in
       Wisconsin, the entire family set out for Buffalo county, 
       meking the trip with two wagons and four yoke of oxen, and
       bringing with them 1,800 pounds of flour. Driving into Max-
       ville township, they came to a halt at Burnside, and there
       decided to make a settlement. There was at that time no road
       and the Burnside and Little Bear Creek district contained
       but five families. Until the father and older sons had time
       to build a log house, the family lived in the wagons, and
       suffered great inconvenience from the mosquitoes, which
       were both numerous and fierce. Early one morning the father
       called out that a bear was going by. Running out, VINCENT
       saw a large bear, weighing about 1,000 pounds. While the
       father was trying to get near it for a close shot, one of
       the sons fired hastily, the bullet passing through the back
       part of its forelegs. The bear, although partly crippled,
       ran down the hill and for the time got away. In the mean-
       while the men went back and got breakfast, and then started
       out on the trail of the bear, which was found and shot by
       the father. Its hide was as large as that of an ox and its
       carcas furnished meat for the family and neighbors for a
       considerable time. The parents established a good home in
       that location and remained there for the rest of their lives.
       There also, VINCENT, the subject of this sketch, resided for
       four or five years or until reaching the age of 25. He then
       began farming for himself on a strip of land, which is now
       in Nelson township, where he became prominent, serving as
       town treasurer and assessor, and as school clerk of his
       district. Remaining there until 1897 MR. HURLBURT then re-
       moved to Maxville township, on his present farm, of which
       he has since been a resident, owning one quarter section
       of land in sections 18 and 19. He has built up his present
       place into a well improved farm, and besides carrying on
       agriculture in its various branches, gives considerable
       attention to bee culture and the production of honey, an
       industry in which he is an expert, having been engaged in
       it from early manhood. For 25 years he has served as jus-
       tice of the peace - for about five years in Nelson town-
       ship and the rest of the time in Maxville. In politics he
       has always been a Democrat, and he has long been active
       as an advocate of the temperance cause. MR. HURLBURT was
       married, in 1859, to MARY ANN SPRINGER, who was born in
       Illinois. She died at the age of 42 years, having borne
       him ten children, of whom eight are now living, namely:
       WILLIAM, BURT, GEORGE, CLAYTON, JOHN, JAMES, STELLA and
       FANNIE. A daughter, ELIZABETH, died at the age of 41. 
       MR. HURLBURT subsequently married SOPHIA PURTISS, of
       Buffalo county, of which union there are no children.
       MRS. SOPHIA HURLBURT died in December, 1903.
       
       Transcriber's Note: Sopia Purtis - her maiden name may have
       been CURTISS. Her tombstone, in Maxville cemetery, gives the
       year of her death as 1902.
       
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