SOURCE: Commemorative biographical record of the west shore of Green Bay, Wisconsin 
Microfilm of original published: Chicago : J.H. Beers, 1896. 718 p. : ports.
LDS Microfilm #0924759     Pages 674

Michael COSGROVE, who does a general lumbering and jobbing business in Florence county, was born in 1848 near Ottawa, Canada, and is a son of Patrick and Mary (McAndrew) Cosgrove, also natives of Canada, who were early pioneers in their section.  Patrick Cosgrove, who was a farmer, opened up a farm in Canada, and died there in 1885, his wife surviving until 1887.   They reared a family of nine children, seven of whom are now living, two residing in Wisconsin, namely: P. J., who is engaged in lumbering at Eau Claire, Eau Claire county, and Michael, whose name opens this sketch.

Our subject was reared and educated in Canada and in 1864, at the age of sixteen, came from there to Menominee, Mich., engaging in lumbering for the different lumber companies.  There he was united in marriage, in 1878, with Miss Mary Merton, who was born in New York, and they have had three children, as follows: Valeria M; and John Walter, living, and Stella, who died in 1893 in Oshkosh, Wis. The parents of Mrs. Cosgrove, Thomas and Mary (Murray) Merton, were very early settlers in Oshkosh, Wis., where they now reside.

In February, 1880, Mr. Cosgrove came from Menominee, Mich., to Commonwealth, Florence Co., Wis., in which village he built the first house and kept a boarding-house. In 1881 he moved to Florence, Florence county, and engaged in cruising in timber.  In 1882 he elected assessor, and served two years; was again elected in 1887, and served continuously until 1894, also being engaged in lumbering and logging.  Mr. Cosgrove is a member of Badger Tent No. 12, K.O.T.M.  He is a Democrat in politics, and has held township office in Florence longer than any other man. He owns 240 acres of land in Florence township, Florence county, and employs ten or fifteen men in his lumbering and jobbing business and in taking out logs. He is one of the earliest settlers of Commonwealth township, and in 1882 assisted in the organization of Florence county from Marinette county, having ever been actively identified with the progress and interests of his section.