William Givens was born in Jackson Co., OH, July 31, 1811, the eldest son of William and Rachel (Stockham) Givens. He was married Oct. 14, 1834, to Elizabeth, daughter of Benjamin and Isabella Elliott, and since then, with the exception of two years, has lived on the place where he now resides. Politically he is Republican. He has been a member of the Methodist Church since twenty-one years of age, his wife being also a member of that denomination. Nine children have been born to him, but six now living: Cynthia Ann, wife of W. Cross; Sarah Ellen, wife of R.A., Bryan; Mary Jane, wife of M. Herdman; Eliza Catherine, wife of Rev. S.M. Donahue; Margaret Belle and an infant are deceased. Mr. Givens's father was a native of Pennsylvania and removed to Kentucky, with his maternal ancestors when but ten years of age. He subsequently removed to Scioto County, and then to Ross, now Jackson County, Ohio. He was married Oct. 23, 1810, to Rachel, daughter of William and Susan (Paine) Stockham. In 1826 he removed to Nile Township, near the place where his son, William, now lives. He died June 26, 1863, aged eighty years, nine months and fifteen days. They had a family of eleven children, but three now living: William, Allen and Thomas J. David, John, Samuel, George, Cynthia, Mary, Jane and James H are deceased. Mr. Givens was an Associate Judge of the county, on the bench with Judge Moore. He was an officer in the war of 1812. In later life he became a member of the Methodist Church.

        Colonel Joseph Moore was born Feb. 13, 1790. His father was of English and his mother of Scotch descent, but were both natives of New Jersey. They were married near Philadelphia, and had a family of twelve children. They subsequently settled in Hampshire County, VA, and in 1790, in company with several other families, came down the Ohio River on a flat-boat. Mr. Moore settled in Adams County. They were members of the Methodist Church, Jos. Moore, Sr, being a local preacher, and religious services were held in their house. Jan. 16, 1812, he married Mary, daughter of Squire Lawson. She was a sister of Rutha Kendall, recently deceased, and of the wife of General Harrison Kelly, of Lawrence County. He was elected Associate Judge of Scioto County and served seven years.
        July 24, 1838, his wife died. They had a family of eleven children: William, Mariah, Burris, Mary Jane, John C, Nancy, Susan, Joseph L, Manerva, Thomas B and an infant. There are now only four living: Mrs. Mariah Jefferson, of Portsmouth; Mrs. Mary J. Valodin, living on the homestead; John C, of Mississippi, and Joseph C. living on a portion of the homestead. John C's wife died several years ago leaving him four children: Joseph V, James K, Hester and Lelia, all now grown, and two of them married. Joseph L. has a family of three sons and four daughters.
        Aug. 6, 1839, Colonel Moore married Isabella Elliott. She died May 20, 1848, and Feb. 15, 1849, he married Sarah Chenoeth, who died Feb. 2, 1878. In 1812, while he was away from home in the service of the country, his wife was converted. When he returned he made up his mind to go with her, and they united with the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was for over forty years a Class-Leader and also served the church in every capacity. He has now been a member of the church seventy-one years. He is the last representative of his father's family, and the patriarch pioneer of Scioto County, having lived here longer than anyone now living.

        Arthur Johnson McCann, farmer, P.O. Bloomer, Chippewa County, was born on December 21, 1840 in Menomonie, Wisconsin. His father, Stephen Smith McCann was born in Kentucky, October 4, 1811, and died in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, November 1, 1880. His mother, Wilhelmina (Johnson) McCann was born April 15, 1813, at Borden, NJ. She was one of the first women who lived in the Chippewa Valley. As there were no schools in those days, our subject received his early education from a private tutor at his home in Chippewa City. He subsequently went to Elkhorn, Washington, Illinois and attended school about three months, then he returned to Chippewa City, where he spent six months in school. He then came to Bloomer Township, Chippewa County and purchased 400 acres of land from different parties and in connection with farming carried on the lumber business, having built a mill on the west fork of O'Neil Creek. From 1886 to 1891 he farmed in LaFayette Township, Chippewa County, but in the spring of the latter year he returned to the old homestead in Bloomer where he remained.
        August 15, 1861, Mr. McCann married Miss Gertrude Nichols, of Chippewa City, Wis., who was born in Luzerne, Warren County, New York, December 5, 1844. Her father was born September 9, 1821, in Williamstown, Mass., a son of Josiah, who was born in the same place, June 16, 1797. Her mother, Sophronia (Washburn) Nichols was born in New York and died in Eagle Point, Chippewa County, in 1862, a daughter of Samuel Washburn. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. McCann, namely: Barbara, who was born August 18, 1863 in Chippewa City, died August 24, 1863: Arthur Jordan, born November 25, 1864, married Maud Bell English, January 12, 1890, at Bloomer, and they have one child, Maggie Bell, born October 12, 1890; David Benjamin, born June 18, 1866, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, died October 18, 1867.
        Mr. McCann enlisted February 27, 1864, at Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and was mustered into the service at Madison, in Company K., Thirty Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry for three years, or during the war, and was in the battles of North Ann River, Cold Harbor and Petersburg, VA., and in the last named battle was wounded in the right leg, which was amputated upon the battlefield. He was then conveyed to the hospital at Annapolis, Maryland, where he remained about three months. His wife, learning of his condition on July 1, and on the following day left her home at Chippewa City for the battlefield. Upon her arrival, she enliste in the hospital service for a period of two months, in order to have a chance to attend to her husband, as that was the only way she could be granted the priviledge. They were both discharged September 27, 1864, and returned to their home in Chippewa County, Wisconsin. At that time he held the rank of fourth Sergeant in his company.
        McCann is a Republican in politics and has served as Supervisor of Bloomer for one term, and Constable in Chippewa City for four terms.

        Stephen Smith McCann, farmer, P.O. Tillinghast, Chippewa County, was born in Badger Mills, Chippewa County, March 23, 1839. His father, Stephen Smith McCann, was born October 4, 1811 and died in Eau Claire, Wis., November 1, 1880. He served in the Black Hawk War and the War of the Rebellion. His mother, Willa Mettie (Johnson) McCann, was born April 15, 1813, in Bordentown, N.J., and was the first white woman who came to this county. Our subject was the first white child born in the Chippewa Valley and his father raised the first potatoes and wheat ever grown in the valley and cut the latter with a carving knife. Stephen S. was instructed by a tutor, whom his father engaged for four years, as there were no schools in those early days in the valley. He learned his first lesson when ten years old. At the age of thirty five years, he removed to Anson Township, Chippewa County, where he resided twelve years, thence went to Bloomer Township, where he bought eighty acres of land from his brother, A. J. McCann, for $650, and now has fifty acres under a good state of cultivation.
        Mr. McCann married Miss Mary Copp, in Chippewa City, April 15, 1855. She is a daughter of Richard and Eliza (White) Copp. Four children were born to this marriage, namely: Roxana, June 28, 1856; Mary Eliza, April 14, 1862; Barbara and George. Mr. McCann's second marriage was to Johanna Helen Regen, at Chippewa City, Wis., September 26, 1868. She was born in Ireland, a daughter of Patrick and Angelina (White) Regan, of Waterford, Ireland, both of whom died in Burlington, N.J., the later having been born in 1821. Seven children have been born to Mr. McCann's second marriage, namely: Stephen Jordan Smith, born in Chippewa City, Wis., December 9, 1870; Barbara Theresa, born in Anson Township, Chippewa County, April 8, 1873; Rachel W., February 14, 1875; Martha Ann Clarrina, November 5, 1879; Helen Angelina, February 24, 1881; Arthur Johnston, February 22, 1883, died July 16, 1886; Helen, March 12, 1877, died January 22, 1878. All were born in Anson County, Chippewa County, except Stephen J. S., born in Eagle Point Township, and Arthur J., in the town of Bloomer.
        Mr. McCann enlisted in Company K, Thirty-sixth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, at Chippewa Falls, February 27, 1864, for three years, or during the war, and was discharged July 12, 1865, at Madison, Wis. He took part in the Battle of the Wilderness, Cold Harbor, Strawberry Hill, Va., Petersburg, Deep Bottom. He was severely wounded on the Weldon railroad by the explosion of a shell, which injured his back and head. He is a pensioner and a member of the G.A.R. of Bloomer. Politically, he is a democrat, and is a member of the methodist church.

        A farm of 360 acres situated seven miles southeast of Bloomer is the well developed property of Henry McCann. The place presents a neat and thrifty appearance and indicates the careful supervision and practical methods of the owner who carries on general farming and dairying. Mr. McCann has been a life long resident of this county, his birth having occured at Jim Falls on the eleventh of March, 1866. His father, Dan McCann, was a native of Ohio and became one of the pioneer settlers of Chippewa county. He made his way to Wisconsin when a young man of 21 years and here engaged in farming and in the lumber business. He made his home at Jim Falls for a number of years, but died in Chippewa Falls on the eighth of November, 1890. He had reached a ripe old age, having been born on the first of January, 1816. It was in 1837 that he arrived in this county finding a district largely undeveloped and unimproved. Much of the native timber was still standing. Chippewa Falls had not been founded and there was no house on this side of Eau Claire. Mr. McCann was accompanied by his two brothers and they became actively identified with the improvement of the county. They built the first Badger Mills and were among the pioneers in the milling business. They had a hand saw and manufactured much of the first lumber used in the county. As the years past, Dan McCann bore his full share in the work of general development and he lived to see notable changes in the county. He married Margaret LaPoint, a native of Canada, the wedding being celebrated at Prairie du Chien. Mrs. McCann, who was born in 1821, passed away October 4, 1907, at Chippewa Falls.
        Henry McCann, who was one of a family of sixteen children, pursued his education in the schools of his native town. Throughout much of his life he has followed farming and until the last four years has devoted the winter months to lumbering and logging. He took up his abode upon his present farm in 1902 and has made all of the improvements upon the place. It is an attractive and well kept property and he has some of the best farming buildings in Eagle Point township. He uses the latest improved machinery to carry on the work of the fields and in addition to raising the crops best adapted to the soil and climate he also conducts a dairy business keeping a number of cows for this purpose.
        Mr. McCann was married June 24, 1889, to Miss Mary Kirchner of Jim Falls and they became the parents of seven children, but Bessie, the second in order of birth, and Ruth, the fourth are now deceased. Those still living are Arthur, Alan, Walter, Jessie and Archie. The family are well known in their section of the county and have an extensive circle of warm friends.
        In politics Mr. McCann is a democrat, active and prominent in the party and in 1910 was elected to the office of county sheriff, which position he capably filled for one term. He was chairman of the town for two years and filled the office of supervisor for ten years. He was also vice president of the school board and for fifteen years was school clerk. The cause of education has ever found in him a warm and helpful friend and in the discharge of his official duties he has ever been prompt, faithful and reliable. He holds membership with the Knights of Pythias at Chippewa Falls and is a consistant member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He lends his aid to the betterment of the community along material, intellectual, political and moral lines and his worth is quickly acknowledged wherever he is known. Success has come to him as a reward of ernest and enterprising efforts and high regard is given him in recognition of a well spent life.

        Charles V. Sweeny, Chippewa Falls, is a native of that place, born Oct 16, 1854. His father, Simeon C. Sweny, came to Chippewa City in the Spring of 1850, from Black River Falls, Jackson Co., where he lived for several years previous. His mother Elizabeth A., following in 1853. Mr. S. was married July 4, 1876, to Miss Adeline M. McCann, of Jim Falls, Chippewa Co. The parents of Mrs. Sweeney, Daniel and Margaret McCann were among the earliest settlers in Chippewa City, or the Fall's, coming from Dubuque, Iowa, in 1839. It was Daniel McCann who purchased for a sack of corn an eagle of an Indian at Lake Flambeau on the Chippewa River, brought the bird to Eau Claire and sold him to Mills Jeffreys, who in turn presented him to Capt. Perkins of the 8th Wis. It was "Old Abe" who followed the fortunes of the "Eighth" through the entire war and who died in Madison in 1881. Mr. Sweeney left school at the age of fourteen years and from that period has constantly been engaged in the various departments of lumbering. Is a lumber scaler.