Pierce, Edward

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 2906
• Biography: 1911; History of Outagamie County, Wisconsin Page 0706

Notes:

Biography:
EDWARD PIERCE, an old and honored resident of Bovina township, Outagamie county, was for many years engaged in other occupations before he took up farming as a vocation, and during the comparatively short period that he has engaged in agricultural operations here has become one of the successful farmers of this section. He was born August 20, 1841, in Ireland, son of Edward and Mary (Wall) Pierce, natives of the Emerald Isle, who emigrated to Canada in 1856 and settled in County Huron, where both died. They had a family of nine children, and Edward, who was the third in order of birth, remained with his parents until he had attained the age of twenty-three years, at which time he commenced working for himself. Four years later he began shipping tanbark and lumber on commission from Port Albert, Canada, but after fifteen years spent in this business he came to the United States and settled in Oshkosh, where for nine years he was employed in the sash and door factory. He then engaged in teaming and contracting and in building streets for about six years, and in the fall of 1897 purchased the farm which he now owns, then all raw, undeveloped land. After building a small house, he commenced to clear his land, and he now has ninety-six acres, located in sections 9 and 16, all under cultivation and fenced with barbed and woven wire. In the spring of 1906 he built a fine basement barn. Mr. Pierce carries on general farming and stock raising, keeping Poland China and Chester White hogs and Holstein cattle; carries on dairying to some extent, separating his cream and selling it, raises cabbages and onions for the market, and also sells the fruit from his young orchard of 175 trees. In politics he is a Democrat, and he has served as justice of the peace for five years and as road commissioner two years . In 1867 Mr. Pierce was married to Mrs. Mary Hawkins, widow of Henry Hawkins, born October 28, 1843, in Islington, a suburb of London, England, the second of the three children born to Thomas and Ann Joy, natives of London, who emigrated to Canada in 1853 and settled in Toronto, the father passing away in that city, while the mother died at Port Albert. Mrs. Pierce had three children by her first marriage, two of whom died in infancy, while the other, Ann G., married E. E. Beals, of Oshkosh, and has five children. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce have had seven children, namely: Alice L., who married E. G. Grove, of Waukesha, and died in 1890, leaving one child; Harold; Edward V., who is single and living at home; Harry W., who married Bertha Schwalm, of Oshkosh, and has two children; Jeannette, who is single and living at home, being employed as clerk in a store at Oshkosh; George H., who married Margaret McIntyre, of Oshkosh; and William A., who married Jessie A. Cooley, of Outagamie county, and has two children. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce are members of the Episcopal Church.