J. F. Kirkpatrick From History of Grant County, Wisconsin, 1881, p. 911.

PLATTEVILLE

J. F. KIRKPATRICK, Platteville; is of Scotch descent, his ancestors having been banished to South Carolina and Georgia during the religious troubles in the middle of the last century. His grandfather, with six stalwart brothers, fought under Washington and Marion for freedom and revenge upon the mother country. All returned in safety, except the grandsire of Mr. Kirkpatrick, who was foully murdered by Tories. All were over six feet in height, and enlisted from Georgia. The father of Mr. Kirkpatrick, with two brothers, came from Georgia to what is now Madison Co., Ill., in 1800. He was the father of eight sons, of whom John F. was born Sept. 8, 1811. Five of the sons came to the lead regions of Illinois and Wisconsin. J. F. Kirkpatrick came to Belmont Mounds early in 1832 and planted a crop of corn; then came the Indian scare and subsequent war, in which Mr. Kirkpatrick took an active part as one of Capt. Craig's company. Returning to the north of Platteville that fall, he discovered the "Burying Ground Diggings." He married, near Washburn, Mary J. Basey, who died, as did her four children. The present Mrs. Kirkpatrick was Mary Ellen Somers, born in Clarke Co., Ind.; they have five children - Henrietta (Mrs. George Brunskill), Emma A. (Mrs. Jas. Stevens), Anne, Ella May and Clyde, all born in Platteville. Since 1838, Mr. Kirkpatrick has resided in Platteville. Here he was eight or ten years in mercantile business, and for twenty-two years in the butchering business. Mr. Kirkpatrick has served for many years on both the town and village boards.

 


This biography generously submitted by Roxanne Munns.