The Wisconsin Settlers
A short introduction:
Killingly, Windham Co., CT
Deacon John Sprague moved to Killingly, Windham Co., Connecticut from Malden,MA in 1752.
He later died in Woodstock, Windham Co., CT in 1795.
He had three known sons: John b. 1735 Malden, Daniel and David.
Daniel & descendants stayed in Killingly area for generations.
David went to Woodstock,Windham Co., CT with his father.
John II moved to Town of Winhall, Bennington Co., VT with sons Jonathan, Isaac, Wyman and John
III; and daughters: Mary (Polly) and unknown.
(Note: there may have been another son Daniel, who is listed on the 1810 VT
Federal Census for Winhall, which is a small community nestled in the mountain
areas of Vermont.)
John II, Jonathan, Isaac and Wyman all died in the Town of Winhall.
Sons of Jonathan: Darius, Morris, Thomas and Asa, along with their mother Phebe, moved to village of Holley, Town of Murray, Orleans Co., NY in western New York by 1820 (near Rochester, Monroe Co, NY). According to the 1820, 1830 & 1840 census, there was a John Sprague also living in that area (actually two).
??Could Orleans County be the birthplace of John IV's son James?? According to Sharon A. Kerridge, Orleans County Coordinator "there is really no resources to check in the 1820 - 1880 time frame. (Orleans Co) Even the census is not too informative..."
John Sprague, IV was born December 21, 1806 in Winhall, Bennington County, VT to a John and Diantha
(Unknown) Sprague. (Note: I found a John Sprague in Stamford, Bennington CO, VT on the 1800
Vermont Federal Census, at the same time as our John Sprague was in Winhall, and
who seemed to have the same number of male children/ages. Could there be a mix-up in the information in the Sprague Online Database?
Does anyone have any documentation for these Johns?
1800 Vermont Federal Census Heads of Households
Towns of Stamford, Sunderland, Winhall and Woodford
John and Diantha also had a set of twins born May 15, 1808. A girl Diantha survived, an unnamed son did not (died May 18, 1808). This information comes from the Town of Winhall land records and notes, copies were sent by the town clerk Marian
Jenks and the LDS Family History Center, film #0027965.
John Sprague, IV married Sarah (Leach? Leitch?) (who was born in VT? Note: 1860 Wisconsin Federal Census says NY) and they lived in Oneida County, New York for a
while (no records, not found on census). There a son James L. Sprague was born in NY about 1838/39 (according to his Civil War military papers from the NARA).
They settled in East Troy, Walworth County, Wisconsin by 1843. Interestingly enough, Diantha Sprague married William Perry and they settled in East Troy, Walworth Co., Wisconsin. (By 1850, however, Diantha and her children were living with her parents John and Diantha Sprague in the Town of Thornapple, Barry County, Michigan. Another sibling, Ara Sprague, is listed as a son of John and Diantha.)
A John Sprague, Jr. was listed on the 1846 Territorial Census in East Troy and a John Sprague owned land in Section 6, Town of Troy in Walworth County
(per Wisconsin Land records, I have the certified copy from the BLM). His daughter Elizabeth (Eliza) was born there November 16, 1843.(per Karen
Lias Wolf, descendant of Eliza Sprague Warfield)
On the 1850 Federal Census for East Troy
John and Sarah Sprague, with children John, Jr. (18), James (11), Elizabeth (7), Mary (5), and Lucretia (3) were listed, along with Almira Taylor (22) and her son Charles Taylor (3). Prior marriage for John?
By the late 1850's, they had moved to Mukwonago, Waukesha County, Wisconsin where John Sprague operated the Exchange Hotel, a local boarding house, in the early 1850's (per John's obituary in the Mukwonago Chief
On the 1860 Wisconsin Federal Census, John and Sarah are listed with a Polly
DAY. I had mistakenly assumed that Polly was Sarah's mother. They also lived
near to Polly DAY in East Troy. However, I have discovered that Polly DAY is
possible Mary (Polly) Sprague, a sister to John IV's father, who married Eli DAY,son of Ephraim and Irene Foote DAY in Winhall, Bennington Co., VT. (no children)
On the 1880 census, John is widowed and living with his son Eugene and wife Lizzie in the town of Vernon, next to Harmon and Mary (Sprague) Warfield.
John passed away at the age of 83 years in February 7, 1890 at the home of his daughter, Mary Warfield in Vernon, Waukesha County, Wisconsin. He was buried at Oak Knoll Cemetery in Mukwonago. There is no marker present, but a tombstone belonging to his daughter Lucretia is still visible, although lying flat in the ground.
Lucretia's stone
2. Elizabeth Sprague was born in East Troy, Walworth County, Wisconsin in November 16, 1843. She married Oscar Warfield, son of Nathan and Lucy Warfield, pioneer settlers of Vernon. They moved to
Baraboo, Sauk County, WI, and Grant County, WI (where they had a hotel) before heading out west
to Emsley (or Mitchell) South Dakota for quite a few years. They returned to Wisconsin in the
1900's but many of their children stayed in South Dakota. Eliza passed away May 15, 1921 in Mukwonago,
Wisconsin, her husband before that. One daughter, Addie Lucille) is known to have lived in the Whitewater area (married to a LUND) and at least one son remained in South Dakota.
See their children list under WARFIELD FAMILY.
On the 1870 Wisconsin census for Vernon Township (copied by Andrea Battaglia, a McMillan family researcher)Oscar, 27, Farm laborer, Eliza, 26, No occupation, Harmon, 6, Herbert, 2, Charles 5/12 (all children were born in WI).
3. Mary Sprague was born in Wisconsin in 1846 (possibly East Troy). She married Harmon Warfield, youngest son of Nathan and Lucy Warfield. They had no children. Mary passed away in 1902 and was buried in the Vernon Cemetery, a granite tombstone marks the spot. Harmon Warfield moved to Mukwonago and died in 1920. He is buried next to his wife. And they are buried next to his parents (and a son of Oscar and Eliza Warfield, name Warner Warfield).
On the 1870 Wisconsin census (reference above)Harmon, 23, M, W, Farm hand,worth $250;WI Mary, F, W, keeping house,WI, Sprague, Eugene, 12, M, W, Farm laborer, WI.
4. Lucretia Sprague was born in Wisconsin in 1848, possibly in East Troy. She died in 1865 and is buried at Oak Knoll Cemetery in Mukwonago. She was listed as living at home but working as a domestic in the 1860 Federal Census (Mukwonago).
5. Eugene D. Sprague was born in Mukwonago in September 28, 1857. He married Elizabeth (Lizzie) McMillan ( a daughter of Angus and Susan Millar
McMillan from Vernon) in 1880. She passed away in September 18, 1892 and is buried at the Vernon Cemetery (no stone).
Eugene remarried in 1905 Marie DeKeyser (who was 21 years old). He passed away in September 1905 and was buried in Vernon Cemetery with Lizzie. Eugene was the First Treasurer of the village of Mukwonago. He also belonged to the Royal Neighbors of America. Eugene worked for and with his brother-in-law, Harmon Warfield. He was a farmer, sheep
shearer, and mule team driver/farm laborer.
2. Maymie Sprague married Rolland Harris in Mukwonago, Wisconsin and they were living in Utah by 1920 (Harmon Warfield's obituary). They had a daughter Lucy (b. 1902) and a son William (b. 1904) according to the 1905 census when they were living in Mukwonago.
Rolland Harris worked for the railroad (as a brakeman?).
3. Claude Sprague married Hilda and lived in Milwaukee. They had no children.
This link is for my aunt Gloria Sprague, a fine poker and blackjack player
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