Dunn County Wisconsin History

James Dow Sperry, our man of many mysteries has come to the light of understanding as to who he was and how his mystery will be forever. Born to a strict puritan family and a father who struggled to maintain a proper household for his family, James left home at the age of sixteen for the Adirondack Mountains to work as a lumberman. He joined an Indian tribe while there and remained until 1853. James’ younger brother Daniel, also disenchanted with is home life, left home at the age of twenty three or twenty four and followed James to the Adirondacks to pursue the life of a lumberman. Not long after his arrival and working career began, Daniel was killed by a falling tree. His body was shipped home to be buried in the family plot. I would like to believe that upon Daniel’s death, James accompanied his body home and although the relationship between he and his father was strained, I see no lack of love for his mother or siblings. It would therefore seem due and reasonable for his return t...

Anson Martin Sperry was the youngest child born to the family of Bela and Matilda Sperry. He was born on August 22, 1836 in Claremont, New Hampshire. Anson saw his family unfold early in life and barely knew some of the members of his family. James left home in 1841 when Anson was only five years old and his older brothers all would have been working long hours at a young age. By the time Anson reached adulthood, most of his family had either died or moved away. His parents went from a life of hard work but relative comfort, to deep loss and poverty. He spoke at times, upon reflection, of the mediocrity of his sibling’s lives and of his father’s failures. Undoubtedly this was to become a driving force in his future endeavors. Anson yearned for education and studied at every opportunity. He once quit a job when the supervisor banned any future studying on the job during breaks. As a learned young man, he began to teach at an early age and through his life. In the spring of 1861 Anson we...

Nathaniel Dow Sperry left home in 1857 with his friend Rayne Parker to start a new life in the Great Woods of Minnesota. We know nothing of his travels there from his home in New Hampshire and many routes could well be true. I would have expected him to travel to the Mississippi River and then straight up that waterway to the small burg of Minneapolis before heading west a relatively short distance to his new home in Rockford, Wright County. He could also have travelled west following his brother James and that route may well have been up the Mississippi then the Chippewa to the Red Cedar River making his way to Menomonie before heading west through St. Paul and on to Rockford. The second scenario would help to explain the story of James coming to Prairie Farm to go deer hunting. The trio could well have been considered James and his brothers, and they may well have gone there to go hunting while Nat and Rayne were visiting. Nathaniel settled down in Rockford and never returned home to...

New Haven, Connecticut May 1661, under cover of darkness, two men from a recently arrived English ship are secretly rushed away to a nearby building where another man guided them to the edge of town. From there, two other men joined in the secrecy and they continued a couple of miles through the fields to a grove of trees. For two days and nights they hid in this place they named ‘Hatchet Harbour’, so named for the rusty hatchet they found there and used to build a shelter. On the third night they were taken to a more protected hide-away atop a cliff where some large rocks provided the comfort of a small cave. This new hiding spot was to become known as the ‘Judges Cave’ where they would remain in hiding from May 15 to June 11, 1661. The three men who faced certain and dire consequences for abetting wanted fugitives from the court of Charles II of England, were Richard Sperry, William Jones and a man named Burril. The fugitives were Edward Whalley and his son-in-law William Goffe, char...

The mystery presents itself! Chapter One High atop the hill overlooking the rest of Evergreen Cemetery stands a granite stone engraved with the name Sperry. The face of the stone is marked: James Dow Sperry, 1825-1893, An American Trapper, A Menomonie Pioneer. So begins the mystery of Mr. Sperry, long ago forgotten in the annals of history and an unknown to the modern day residents. August 24, 2008 an article written by local historian, John Russel, brought this mystery to the public attention. While doing some research, Joan Keller, head of the Dunn County Genealogical Society, came across an obituary for James Dow Sperry. The October 20, 1893 issue of the Barron County Shield read: Turtle Lake Barron County Shield DIED: - October 10th, 1893, James Sperry, aged 68 years, of dropsy. Buried Oct 12th from the Dahl’s schoolhouse, Rev. Brierly, officiating. So passes away that unique character of Northwestern Wisconsin, kn...

INTRODUCTION: James Dow Sperry was an enigma to historians and genealogists alike here in Menomonie. He has a marker at Evergreen Cemetery up on the hill but he is not buried here and there is barely any record of him being here! So the questions came and people searched to find an answer with none coming forth. The mystery was presented on television and in articles by John Russell among others. I took to the task of portraying him because of my dear friend Jo Keller and to solve this mystery for once and for all. I set about my task and traveled hither and yon. I found the answers and solved this enduring mystery with my fellow sleuth Jo Keller. I had my man discovered and knew him well enough to do a passable first-person portrayal. At least enough to make my friends Jo Keller and Chuck Backus proud of me. It was such an interesting story and such an unusual man, I had to write his story to be shared...

Going down rabbit holes of late and I began the task of trying to find my book that I wrote about James Dow Sperry. I finally found it so I am celebrating whether anyone else likes it or not. To start off, here is my picture from the event advertising and as a bonus to those who want to ignore it all, my talk that I gave at the event! My name is James Dow Sperry. My fame is American Trapper and a Menomonie Pioneer as you can see. I was born December 22, 1825 in Claremont, Sullivan County, New Hampshire and died a lonely but well-respected man on October 10, 1893 in Turtle Lake, Barron County, Wisconsin where I was known as the ‘Hermit of Barron County’. I hope that you all will be so kind as to pardon me as I am a bit weary. I have travelled a good day’s ride by horseback to get here for today. You see, though my marker is here, I am not buried here. As such, I am one of the mysteries of this beautiful cemetery. Now if you Ladies present would please do me the courtesy of staying bac...