- WILLIAM LAIRD, who is engaged in general farming in Ellington township, is a worthy representative of one of Outagamie county's pioneer families. He is a son of Alexander Laird, who was born in Ireland in 1840, and came to the United States in 1857, locating in Ellington township, where he has continued to reside ever since, with the exception of a period when he returned to the old country to marry Agnes Jamison. They had a family of seven children. William Laird was born August 12, 1873, on his father's farm in Ellington township, and he first attended the district schools of this locality. Later he went to the Appleton high school for some time and later took the agricultural course in the University of Wisconsin. He worked on his father's farm until his marriage, in 1901, to Zella Sykes, who was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, daughter of William and Sarah Sykes, the former a native of New York State and the latter of Appleton. Some time prior to his marriage, Mr. Laird had purchased his present farm, formerly known as the Hunter farm, and this he has brought up to a high state of cultivation, by intelligently using scientific methods. He does mixed and dairy farming, keeping a number of purebred Holstein cattle, and his product meets with a ready sale in the markets of this section. Since locating on this property, Laird has erected a fine, modern residence and substantial barns and outbuildings, and has improved it in many other ways, making it one of the fine farms of this section. Mr. Laird is independent in his political views, voting for the man rather than the party. He is a great advocate of education, and has been connected with educational matters here for some time, serving as treasurer of the school district for four years. He and Mrs. Laird are consistent members of the Congregational Church of Ellington. They have four children: Margaret, Dorothy, Grace and Katherine.
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1873 - 1951 (78 years)
Biography
