Untitled From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin, publ. 1901 - page 47-48

WILLIAM RALPH, a retired miner and farmer of Cuba City, Grant county, is one of the substantial men of his community, and is now enjoying the well-earned fruit of his early labors. Although born in Cornwall, England, Nov. 9, 1819, Mr. RALPH has been thoroughly identified with the best interests of his adopted country, and is a man of whom Cuba City may well be proud.

William RALPH grew to manhood in his native land, where he attended the public schools until he was seven years and six months old. He then went to work in the mines, and never had any more schooling, but taught himself to write while crossing the ocean from England to Quebec. On April 7, 1842, he left England, crossing to Quebec, where he remained three weeks. He then went to Essex county, N.Y., working in the iron mines until the fall, and in September came to Mineral Point, Wis., where he found employment in the lead mines. Leaving there in the fall of 1844, he went to British Hollow, Grant county. He spent the winter of 1845-46 in Beetown, Grant county. In May, 1846, he went down the Mississippi to New Orleans, where he took passage for England, arriving at his old home Aug. 26. A few days afterward he was married, and soon came back to America, bringing his wife and two of his brothers. On his arrival in New York he went to a mining office, and made arrangements for all three to go to work in the Rocky Hill Copper Mine in New Jersey, where he remained two years. At the expiration of this time a company was formed in Philadelphia for working the copper mines of Lake Superior, and Mr. RALPH, on account of his long experience, was one of the men selected for the work. After remaining with this company six years he purchased an interest in a mine at Sinsinawa Mound, Grant Co., Wis., and worked it for seven years. Having saved considerable money during this time, he invested it in some four hundred acres of farm land near Hazel Green, erected a good house in 1868, and moved his family to it, renting the land out on shares. Meanwhile he continued mining, with success, the ore averaging $30 per one thousand pounds, until 1861, when he took up farming. In 1882 he gave up farming and his children have worked his land since that time. In 1884 Mr. RALPH, with his wife, paid a pleasant journey to England, visiting their relatives, and returning to Wisconsin after a year in their native land, making the home trip via New York. One year later Mr. RALPH purchased real estate in Cuba City, erected a beautiful home in the same year, and has since lived there, retired from active business life.

On Sept. 2, 1846, Mr. RALPH was married to Miss Philepie RICHARDS, of England, and nine children were born to them: (1) Elizabeth, born at Lake Superior, in August, 1853, was educated in the Platteville Normal, and in 1876 married Edwin TRENERY, of Platteville, a native of that city, born in 1851; they settled on a farm and later moved to Iowa, where Mr. TRENERY conducts a furniture and undertaking establishment. Mr. and Mrs. TRENERY have three daughters, Eva, Edith and Gertrude, all born in Grant county, Wis., and educated in the schools of Iowa. (2) John H. , born 1856, grew to manhood on the home farm, receiving his education in the common and high schools of his district, and at Galena, Ill. He married Miss Hannah WILLIAMS, of Grant county, and they reside on the old homestead in Hazel Green township. Their family consists of six children, Wilber, Mary, Eunice, Leroy, Homer and Lucile. (3) George C., born in Grant county in 1859, studied in the Galena high school, and now resides on a portion of the old homestead in Hazel Green township. He married Miss Annie PASCOE, of Grant county, and they have five children, Willie, Velda, Clarence, Lloyd, and an infant, as yet unnamed. The remainder of the children of Mr. and Mrs. RALPH died in infancy.

On Sept. 2, 1896, Mr. and Mrs. RALPH celebrated their Golden Wedding, and at that time welcomed to their beautiful parlors many old and honored friends. On Nov. 19, 1899, the faithful wife and loving mother passed to her eternal rest.

Politically Mr. RALPH is a stanch Republican, although not an office-seeker, while residing in Hazel Green he served most acceptably as roadmaster. Mr. RALPH is an active member of the M. E. Church, as was his good wife, and he has always given liberally of his substance toward the support of the Church and its works. He was a trustee of the Providence M. E. Church for a long time before his removal to Cuba City, and also held the same office there for some years, resigning when he found himself unable to attend to the duties of the office with his customary zeal and fidelity.



This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck