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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 175-176]

         MAURICE POWERS, one of the earliest settlers in Maxville town-
       ship, was a native of Ireland who came to the United States at
       the age of 17 years, about 1845. He first located in Illinois
       and was married in Jo Daviess county, that state, to MARY COLLINS,
       who was also born in Ireland. For a while he worked in lead mines
       at Galena, Ill., and then took up railroad work, being section boss
       for the Illinois Central Railroad for some ten or fifteen years,
       during which time he resided at Galena. In 1854 he made a trip up
       the Mississippi river by boat, returning in October. During this
       trip he investigated the prospects along the river for settlement,
       and in May of the following year, 1855, he set out with a team of
       oxen and some twenty head of stock, and after a long and tedious
       journey, during which he had sometimes to stop to clear the road
       from rocks, he reached Maxville township, Buffalo county, and lo-
       cated on a tract of land in section 5, the place now owned by his
       son, MAURICE J. POWERS. This country was then peopled with Indians,
       who were numerous in the neighborhood, and there were also plenty
       of wild animals. Indeed, the first night he slept on the place a
       bear tried to break into the shanty. He had, however, a bull dog
       which gave him timely warning of the approach of such unwelcome
       visitors. Though the Indians never did him and his family any bod-
       ily harm, they were at times a nuisance, as they were persistent
       beggars. MR. POWERS often had to leave home to work, and then the
       Indians, who watched such opportunities, would come and ask his
       wife for food, which she was afraid to refuse them, though she
       had little enough for herself and family. When she had reason to
       expect them, she would set out food on the table, leaving the door
       of their shanty open, and hiding everything she did not want stolen,
       and would go to a neighbor's and stay there a while. This just
       suited the Indians, who made themselves at home and devoured the
       products which they were too lazy to create or earn for themselves.
       MR. POWERS worked in sawmills and on farms, his employment necessi-
       tating long walks; and on more than one occasion he walked to Winona
       and La Crosse to buy more land. He and his wife had three children
       with them when they arrived in Buffalo county, whose names respect-
       ively were MARTIN, ELLEN and NICHOLAS. Afterwards their family was
       enlarged by the birth of four others, MARY, KATE, MAURICE JAMES and
       JULIA. The log building that MR. POWERS erected on his place was so
       substantially built that it remained in good condition for fifty
       years, at the end of which time it was torn down. MRS. POWERS in
       early days used to spin wool to make clothes for the family. From
       a tract of eighty acres of land with which MR. POWERS started, he
       increased the size of his farm to 360 acres by additional purchases.
       He was a public official of the township for some years, serving on
       the side board, as treasurer, and otherwise, including membership
       on the school board for a number of years. A Catholic in religion,
       he helped to build the first church of that faith in Durand, and
       often walked six miles to church, or drove twelve miles to another
       church with oxen. It was he who built the brick house now standing
       on the farm. MAURICE POWERS was a veteran of the Civil war, having
       served as a member of Company A, First Minnesota Heavy Artillery.
       He died in 1901, at the age of 73 years, having been born Aug. 15,
       1828. His wife died in August, 1900, at the age of 62 years, her
       birth date being Feb. 11, 1838.

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