Joseph Keyes ('Keyes' rhymes with 'Eyes') was the son of Abel Keyes and Esther Smith and the husband of 1) Zeruah Eggleston and 2) Olive Williams.
From death notice in Wisconsin State Journal, Madison, Wis., 18 Sept 1874:
"...The life of Capt. (Joseph) Keyes has been a very active one, and being one of the old settlers of the state, something more than the mere announcement of his death is proper...Joseph Keyes was born in Putney, Vermont...In early life he became.. a Millright, which means a mechanic whose occupation is to built mills. His was a temperament that could not remain inactive. His motive power was immense; and he soon became an extensive operator of machinery of various kinds in his native state. He was also, as we understand, the inventor of several pieces of machinery, for which patents were obtained. As the crisis, which came upon the country in 1837, was approaching, Mr. Keyes, finding it difficult to proceed with his extensive business, made disposition of it in 1836, and in the spring of that year, with but little left but his head and hands, backed up by the most indomitable energy and a powerful constitution, he struck out to seek his fortune in a new country; and landed in Milwaukee in June, 1836. Wisconsin, at that time, was an inviting field for men of the type of Mr. Keyes. It needed intelligent, enterprising and hard-working men, to develop its immense resources. Mr. Keyes, being one of that class, found a cordial welcome to the territory, by the few bold spirits who had preceded him, and an ample scope of country in which to operate...The family of Mr. Keyes followed him to the west in 1837, arriving in Milwaukee in June of that year. In the fall of 1837, Mr. Keyes with his family removed to Lake Mills, being the first white settler of that town. He proceeded at once to the erection of a gristmill and a sawmill that proved of vast advantage to the settlement of a new country; and very soon he laid out the village of Lake Mills, being its original founder. Here, in accordance with his public spirit and liberality, he erected the first schoolhouse in the town...A short time after this, Mr. Keyes erected a sawmill at a point known as Keyesville, a short distance north of Cambridge; and not satisfied with this, with his sons Simon and Abel, he put up a superior grist and sawmill at Cambridge in the county, in 1847-48. This was the starting point of that village ...and (he) did a thriving business...In 1856 the immense labor he had performed in his active life began to tell upon his constitution, and he sought relief in the acceptance of a position under the Superintendent of Public Property at the capitol (Madison), and was efficient in directing many of the improvements about the Park. Some fifteen years ago (1859), Mr. Keyes removed from this city to Menasha...(and) lived in quiet retirement...The funeral of Capt. Joseph Keyes will take place under the direction of the Order of Knights Templar, at Menasha, on Sunday, the 20th inst. Members of the (Masonic) order from many of the principal places in the state will no doubt take part in the impressive and solemn exercises of the occasion."
Grandparents:
Daniel Keyes
Abigail Proctor Keyes
Children (in addition to those listed in familylinks below):
Cynthia Keyes, b. 1819VT
From death notice in Wisconsin State Journal, Madison, Wis., 18 Sept 1874:
"...The life of Capt. (Joseph) Keyes has been a very active one, and being one of the old settlers of the state, something more than the mere announcement of his death is proper...Joseph Keyes was born in Putney, Vermont...In early life he became.. a Millright, which means a mechanic whose occupation is to built mills. His was a temperament that could not remain inactive. His motive power was immense; and he soon became an extensive operator of machinery of various kinds in his native state. He was also, as we understand, the inventor of several pieces of machinery, for which patents were obtained. As the crisis, which came upon the country in 1837, was approaching, Mr. Keyes, finding it difficult to proceed with his extensive business, made disposition of it in 1836, and in the spring of that year, with but little left but his head and hands, backed up by the most indomitable energy and a powerful constitution, he struck out to seek his fortune in a new country; and landed in Milwaukee in June, 1836. Wisconsin, at that time, was an inviting field for men of the type of Mr. Keyes. It needed intelligent, enterprising and hard-working men, to develop its immense resources. Mr. Keyes, being one of that class, found a cordial welcome to the territory, by the few bold spirits who had preceded him, and an ample scope of country in which to operate...The family of Mr. Keyes followed him to the west in 1837, arriving in Milwaukee in June of that year. In the fall of 1837, Mr. Keyes with his family removed to Lake Mills, being the first white settler of that town. He proceeded at once to the erection of a gristmill and a sawmill that proved of vast advantage to the settlement of a new country; and very soon he laid out the village of Lake Mills, being its original founder. Here, in accordance with his public spirit and liberality, he erected the first schoolhouse in the town...A short time after this, Mr. Keyes erected a sawmill at a point known as Keyesville, a short distance north of Cambridge; and not satisfied with this, with his sons Simon and Abel, he put up a superior grist and sawmill at Cambridge in the county, in 1847-48. This was the starting point of that village ...and (he) did a thriving business...In 1856 the immense labor he had performed in his active life began to tell upon his constitution, and he sought relief in the acceptance of a position under the Superintendent of Public Property at the capitol (Madison), and was efficient in directing many of the improvements about the Park. Some fifteen years ago (1859), Mr. Keyes removed from this city to Menasha...(and) lived in quiet retirement...The funeral of Capt. Joseph Keyes will take place under the direction of the Order of Knights Templar, at Menasha, on Sunday, the 20th inst. Members of the (Masonic) order from many of the principal places in the state will no doubt take part in the impressive and solemn exercises of the occasion."
Grandparents:
Daniel Keyes
Abigail Proctor Keyes
Children (in addition to those listed in familylinks below):
Cynthia Keyes, b. 1819VT
Joseph Keyes ('Keyes' rhymes with 'Eyes') was the son of Abel Keyes and Esther Smith and the husband of 1) Zeruah Eggleston and 2) Olive Williams.
From death notice in Wisconsin State Journal, Madison, Wis., 18 Sept 1874:
"...The life of Capt. (Joseph) Keyes has been a very active one, and being one of the old settlers of the state, something more than the mere announcement of his death is proper...Joseph Keyes was born in Putney, Vermont...In early life he became.. a Millright, which means a mechanic whose occupation is to built mills. His was a temperament that could not remain inactive. His motive power was immense; and he soon became an extensive operator of machinery of various kinds in his native state. He was also, as we understand, the inventor of several pieces of machinery, for which patents were obtained. As the crisis, which came upon the country in 1837, was approaching, Mr. Keyes, finding it difficult to proceed with his extensive business, made disposition of it in 1836, and in the spring of that year, with but little left but his head and hands, backed up by the most indomitable energy and a powerful constitution, he struck out to seek his fortune in a new country; and landed in Milwaukee in June, 1836. Wisconsin, at that time, was an inviting field for men of the type of Mr. Keyes. It needed intelligent, enterprising and hard-working men, to develop its immense resources. Mr. Keyes, being one of that class, found a cordial welcome to the territory, by the few bold spirits who had preceded him, and an ample scope of country in which to operate...The family of Mr. Keyes followed him to the west in 1837, arriving in Milwaukee in June of that year. In the fall of 1837, Mr. Keyes with his family removed to Lake Mills, being the first white settler of that town. He proceeded at once to the erection of a gristmill and a sawmill that proved of vast advantage to the settlement of a new country; and very soon he laid out the village of Lake Mills, being its original founder. Here, in accordance with his public spirit and liberality, he erected the first schoolhouse in the town...A short time after this, Mr. Keyes erected a sawmill at a point known as Keyesville, a short distance north of Cambridge; and not satisfied with this, with his sons Simon and Abel, he put up a superior grist and sawmill at Cambridge in the county, in 1847-48. This was the starting point of that village ...and (he) did a thriving business...In 1856 the immense labor he had performed in his active life began to tell upon his constitution, and he sought relief in the acceptance of a position under the Superintendent of Public Property at the capitol (Madison), and was efficient in directing many of the improvements about the Park. Some fifteen years ago (1859), Mr. Keyes removed from this city to Menasha...(and) lived in quiet retirement...The funeral of Capt. Joseph Keyes will take place under the direction of the Order of Knights Templar, at Menasha, on Sunday, the 20th inst. Members of the (Masonic) order from many of the principal places in the state will no doubt take part in the impressive and solemn exercises of the occasion."
Grandparents:
Daniel Keyes
Abigail Proctor Keyes
Children (in addition to those listed in familylinks below):
Cynthia Keyes, b. 1819VT
From death notice in Wisconsin State Journal, Madison, Wis., 18 Sept 1874:
"...The life of Capt. (Joseph) Keyes has been a very active one, and being one of the old settlers of the state, something more than the mere announcement of his death is proper...Joseph Keyes was born in Putney, Vermont...In early life he became.. a Millright, which means a mechanic whose occupation is to built mills. His was a temperament that could not remain inactive. His motive power was immense; and he soon became an extensive operator of machinery of various kinds in his native state. He was also, as we understand, the inventor of several pieces of machinery, for which patents were obtained. As the crisis, which came upon the country in 1837, was approaching, Mr. Keyes, finding it difficult to proceed with his extensive business, made disposition of it in 1836, and in the spring of that year, with but little left but his head and hands, backed up by the most indomitable energy and a powerful constitution, he struck out to seek his fortune in a new country; and landed in Milwaukee in June, 1836. Wisconsin, at that time, was an inviting field for men of the type of Mr. Keyes. It needed intelligent, enterprising and hard-working men, to develop its immense resources. Mr. Keyes, being one of that class, found a cordial welcome to the territory, by the few bold spirits who had preceded him, and an ample scope of country in which to operate...The family of Mr. Keyes followed him to the west in 1837, arriving in Milwaukee in June of that year. In the fall of 1837, Mr. Keyes with his family removed to Lake Mills, being the first white settler of that town. He proceeded at once to the erection of a gristmill and a sawmill that proved of vast advantage to the settlement of a new country; and very soon he laid out the village of Lake Mills, being its original founder. Here, in accordance with his public spirit and liberality, he erected the first schoolhouse in the town...A short time after this, Mr. Keyes erected a sawmill at a point known as Keyesville, a short distance north of Cambridge; and not satisfied with this, with his sons Simon and Abel, he put up a superior grist and sawmill at Cambridge in the county, in 1847-48. This was the starting point of that village ...and (he) did a thriving business...In 1856 the immense labor he had performed in his active life began to tell upon his constitution, and he sought relief in the acceptance of a position under the Superintendent of Public Property at the capitol (Madison), and was efficient in directing many of the improvements about the Park. Some fifteen years ago (1859), Mr. Keyes removed from this city to Menasha...(and) lived in quiet retirement...The funeral of Capt. Joseph Keyes will take place under the direction of the Order of Knights Templar, at Menasha, on Sunday, the 20th inst. Members of the (Masonic) order from many of the principal places in the state will no doubt take part in the impressive and solemn exercises of the occasion."
Grandparents:
Daniel Keyes
Abigail Proctor Keyes
Children (in addition to those listed in familylinks below):
Cynthia Keyes, b. 1819VT
Family Members
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
