William O. Mahony, a native of Ireland, born about 1810, came to America while he was yet a minor, and to St. Croix Falls in 1843. He had learned the trade of a baker, but in 1844 became one of the proprietors of the saw mill at Osceola, and sold his interest in 1860. He was a man of original and eccentric mind. He went to California in 1862, and died there in 1866.
Richard Arnold is of Illinois birth. He came to Osceola in 1845, and moved to his farm near the village in 1848. In 1852 he removed to Taylor's Falls and built the Cascade House. In 1855 he was the first farmer in the town of Amador, Chisago county. In 1859 he left the valley for Pike's Peak, Colorado.
Wm. Kent Sr., was born in Scotland sometime in 1790. He was married in Scotland, and, with his wife and two eldest children, came to America in 1823. He seems to have lived awhile in New Brunswick, probably till 1829 or 30, when he removed to Eddington, Maine, whence he removed to the West and made his home at Osceola in 1852, where he and his wife died at an advanced age, honored by all who knew them. His family of six sons and five daughters all grew to mature age, and, except Andrew, who located in Farmington, had homes in Osceola The daughters are Anna, wife of Curtis Guild; Agnes (deceased), wife of I. W. Freeland; Jane, wife of Jerry Mudget; Mary (deceased), wife of Chapin Kimball; and Eva, wife of Henry C. Goodwin.
Robert Kent, oldest son of Wm. Kent, Sr., was born in Scotland in 1819; came to Galena, Illinois, in 1840, and to Osceola in 1848, where he has filled many responsible public positions. His first wife, to whom he was married in Galena in 1841, died in 1847, leaving four children. In 1859 Mr. Kent was married to Susan Babb, of Osceola.
Andrew Kent was born in Scotland in 1821. He was married in New Brunswick in 1838, but his wife died soon after. He came to Osceola in 1852 and was married to Esther Hill, of Osceola, in 1855. Mr. Kent followed lumbering for many years but finally settled on a beautiful farm in Farmington, where he still resides, an industrious, thrifty farmer.
William Kent, Jr., was born in New Brunswick in 1824; came to Galena in 1843 and to St. Croix Falls in 1844. He was one of the original owners and builders of the first mill at Osceola. From time to time he purchased the interests of other partners until he became sole owner of mill and town site. In 1853 he sold the mill to B. H. Campbell, of Galena. Mr. Kent engaged in steamboating for many years and was a popular commander. He built the Nellie Kent, the Helen Mar and Maggie Reany. Of late years he has been engaged in mercantile pursuits. He was married to Nellie Kidder in 1855. They have no children. Mr. Kent is an influential member of the masonic order, and has filled many positions of public trust.
James Kent was born in Frederickton, New Brunswick, in 1826; came to Wisconsin in 1850; and was married to Mary Jane Wilson at Osceola in 1858. In 1874 he removed to Ashland, Wisconsin, where he died in 1878, leaving a wife and five children.
Thomas Kent was born in Richmond, New Brunswick, in 1828. He came to Osceola in 1849 and was married in 1856 to Achsah Hale. He was a practical lumberman and a very active man. He was accidentally killed in 1847, while breaking a jam of logs in Clam river. He left a wife and one child.
John Kent was born in Eddington, Maine, in 1831. He came to Wisconsin with his parents in 1852. He was married to Jennie Kidder in 1866. He was a house carpenter. Lived in Duluth some years but returned and settled in Osceola.
Samuel Close in 1845 made a land claim for a mill at the falls of Close creek. Shortly after he abandoned the claim and left the country, leaving his name to the creek and slough.
Ebenezer Ayres came from Maine to the St. Croix valley in 1850, and settled on a farm in Osceola, where he made his home during the remainder of his active life. During his last years he became very feeble and partially insane, and his friends placed him in the asylum at Madison, where he died, Aug. 20, 1876. His wife, familiarly known in later years as "Mother Ayres," and greatly esteemed for her excellence of character, died two years later. They reared a family of four sons and seven daughters. The sons Charles, Seth and Andrew are farmers on typo for Osceola prairie. Warren, a fourth son, died in Iowa. The daughters were married – Elizabeth to Ambrose Sevey, Ruth to Walter Carrier, Mary (deceased) to Frank S. Eddy, Sarah to E. R. St. Clair, and to a second husband, H. H. Newberry, all of Taylor's Falls; Abigail to Wm. E. Doe, and to a second husband, the distinguished phrenologist, O. S. Fowler, of New York; Almena to – Clough, of Osceola prairie, and, after his decease, to Wallace, of Osceola; and Emma to Charles P. Fenlason, of Pipestone, Minnesota.
Carmi P. Garlick was born in Erie county, Pennsylvania, in 1818; was married in 1842 to Elizabeth Thompson, of Ohio, and come to Amador, Chisago county, Minnesota, in 1854, where he built a saw mill. Not succeeding as he had expected, he betook himself to farming and to the practice of medicine while in Amador. In 1858 he removed to Osceola, where he practiced medicine until he entered the United States service as surgeon during the war of the Rebellion. He died at Milwaukee, Jan. 12, 1864, while in the United States service. He was educated in Columbus (Ohio) Medical College. He left a wife, one son (Louis), and one daughter, wife of Henry Jones, of Osceola.
John S. Godfrey was born in Sackville, Halifax county, Nova Scotia, Dec. 18, 1809; was married to Sarah Wright, in Stonnich, Nova Scotia, in 1832; came to Easton, Wisconsin, in 1849, to Taylor's Falls in 1851, and to their beautiful homestead in Osceola in 1852, where he still lives, respected and honored by all his neighbors as an honest, worthy and industrious man. He has sometimes engaged in lumbering, but his chief success has been as a farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey are members of the Baptist church. They have four sons and five daughters. Of his sons, George died in 1872. Of his daughters, Mary Ann, wife of Joel F. Nason, died in 1885. John, the youngest son, was married to Mamie Maxwell, and died January, 1888. The daughters are married – Elizabeth to John Buckley, Charlotte to S. B. Dresser, Eunice to George Clark, and Sarah to Joseph A. Brown. The two oldest sons are married – James to M. Fenlason, Arthur to Mary J. Daniel.
William A. Talboys was born in Bristol, England; was married to Mary Rowcliff, in London, in 1845; came to America in 1845, and to Osceola in 1851, where for some years he clerked for Kent Brothers. He taught the first school in Osceola and served four years as county treasurer. He has held many positions of trust. For many years he has been engaged in lumbering and merchandising. In 1874 he built an elevator for handling wheat. Mr. Talboys and his wife are members of the Methodist church. They have three children living. The oldest, W. E., is editor of the Grantsburg Sentinel, Burnett county. Frederic C. is in St. Paul. Adelaide E. was married to Benj. Knapp, captain of the steamboat Cleon. Her husband died in 1887.
Charles H. Staples. – Mr. Staples was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1824. In 1848 he came to Bunker Hill, Illinois, and in the same year was married to Hannah Garland. He was engaged seven years in the milling business, and in 1856 came to Osceola, where he engaged in lumbering, selling goods and medicines. He has filled several county offices. Of their four children, Charles W. was married to May Foster, of Osceola, in 1878, Eva is married to H. B. Dyke, and Frank to Ella Fiske.
J. W. Peake was born Dec. 2, 1822, in Schoharie county, New York. At the age of twenty-one he settled near La Salle, Illinois, and kept a hotel. He came to Osceola in 1854, and settled on a farm. On July 15, 1862, he enlisted in the Tenth Wisconsin Battery, and served till the close of the war. He served several years as town supervisor and assessor. He died at his home, March 13, 1886.
George Wilson was born in Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, in 1836. His privileges for education were good. He taught school in Pennsylvania; came to Osceola in 1857; followed clerking and teaching school; was nine years in flouring mill and merchandising; was two years register of deeds, and has filled minor offices. He was married to Emma R. Fiske in 1854, at Osceola. They have two sons and two daughters, one the wife of Capt. George Knapp.
Samuel B. Dresser. – Mr. Dresser was born in Buxton, Maine, in 1832. During his youth he lived with his parents, chiefly at Bangor, where he received the rudiments of a good education in the common schools, and in Kent Seminary at Readfield. He came to Taylor's Falls in 1851, and followed lumbering and merchandising until 1862,