A One-Name Study for the BARNUM/BARNHAM Surname
From the History of Clark and Jackson Counties (1891: Lewis Publishing Co.) pages 153 and 154: Israel R. Barnum is a man whose uprightness and integrity render it a pleasure to sketch his career and record it on these pages of the History of Jackson County. He was born in Shandaken, Ulster County, New York, July 1, 1823, and is a son of Israel and Mary (Rose) Barnum, also natives of the State of New York. Israel Barnum was a relative of the former P.T. Barnum. He came with his wife to Wisconsin at an early day and settled in Dunn County, where he still resides, at the advanced age of 94 years; his wife died in 1882, at the age of 82 years. He served as soldier in the war of 1812; all his life he has been a farmer; he and his wife are members of the Baptist Church; they had born to them ten children; Israel R., Hiram, Jonathan, William, Mary Al, Zadok, Noah, Jane, Warren and Antoinette. The eldest born, and the subject of this notice, was reared on a farm in the midst of the scenes of his birth, attending the common schools. In the year 1856 he came to Jackson County, hoping to make a home and accumulate some property; in 1861 he bought 200 acres, which now comprise his farm, seventy acres having been placed under cultivation through his persevering efforts. It has been no light task to clear this land from the wild forest, and fit it for the plow, and too much praise cannot be given to those hardy pioneers who have made Jackson County what she is today.
Mr. Barnum at one period of his life was engaged in a tannery and he has also followed surveying, serving as County Surveyor for one term; he has been Town Clerk almost continuously since 1861, and he has been Justice of the Peace for several terms. In his political faith he is a Prohibitionist. He cast his first Presidential vote for James K. Polk. He is a believer in churches and religious denominations, and contributes liberally to their support, although he is not a member of any denomination.
July 20, 1851, he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Chariton. She was born in Middletwon, Delaware County, New York, November 22, 1832, and is a daughter of William and Saliva A. (Bivens) Chariton, natives of the Empire State. Mr. and Mrs. Barnum are the parents of ten children: Sarah, Alice, Mary, Sidney, Elmer, Iona, Lillie, Ada, Willie and Elva; Sidney, Alice and Mary are deceased.
Obituary abstracted from the Melrose Chronicle [Melrose, Jackson County, Wisconsin], Friday May 5, 1912, Page 4: Last Saturday, May 18th, only six days after the death of Mrs. Elizabeth Barnum, at the Barnum Home in Pine Hill, the well known old settler Israel Barnum, husband of the above, followed his wife in death. The departed was 88 years, 10 months and 17 days of age, born in Shandaken, Ulster Co., New York July 1, 1823...was the eldest son of Israel Barnum who was a near relative of P. T. Barnum...He was married in 1851 to Elizabeth Chariton...and was the father of ten children, six of whom are surviving.
Census: 1860 Manchester,Jackson Co.,WI Census: 1900 Manchester,Jackson Co,WI 4.
Death Cert: Jackson CO.,WI Vol. 6 pg 358.
He was buried in Union Cemetery.
A Research Guide to the Genealogy of the Barnum/Barnam/Barnham Family Worldwide
AncientFaces - Family History Photos
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