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From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin, publ. 1901- page 544-545
RUFUS M. DAY, a leading business man of Mount Hope, Grant county, ex-soldier, ex-legislator, is a native of the State of Kentucky, having been born near West Liberty, Morgan Co., that State, Nov. 18, 1835, a son of John and Elizabeth (McKINNIE) DAY, natives of Virginia.
About 1840 John DAY and his family migrated to Wisconsin, coming directly to Grant county, and settling on land near Lancaster. Here Mr. DAY died April 1, 1846. Mrs. DAY survived many years, dying in the same township, but not upon the original land taken by her husband. Of the three children in this family, Jemima, the eldest, became the wife of Antone BAILEY, and now resides in Kansas; Theodore enlisted, at the outbreak of the Civil war, in Company C, 2d Wis. V.I., took part in the first battle of Bull Run, in July 1861, and after his three months' term expired re-enlisted, and served through the war, now residing in the State of Oregon; Rufus M. is our subject. All are highly respected.
Rufus M. DAY enlisted, Aug. 14, 1862, in Company I, 20th Wis. V.I., and participated in many of the important events of the war, taking part in the battle of Prairie Grove and the siege of Vicksburg. He was subsequently on detail duty at Gen. Herron's headquarters for about a year; was then transferred to the corps headquarters of Gen Granger, where he remained until the end of the war, on duty constantly as orderly; and was mustered out of the service at Galveston, Texas, when the war closed.
Upon his return from the army Mr. DAY resumed farming in Mount Hope, but later retired from farm life, and engaged in mercantile pursuits in the same town, being very successful. In political matters Mr. DAY has always been a Republican, and he was honored by election to the State Legislature in 1885, 1886, 1887 and 1888. While in the Legislature Mr. DAY proved himself worthy of representing his constituents, and may well be proud of his record in that body. Taking an active interest in town affairs, he is an important factor in the conduct of the affairs of the municipality, and has served most acceptably as chairman of the town for eleven years, and was a member of the board for many years prior to his occupancy of the head position.
In September, 1866, Mr. DAY was married to Miss Almira WHITESIDE, daughter of William WHITESIDE, and two daughters have been born of this union: Jennie E., widow of Augustus MILNER; and Alta, wife of W. J. LAMBERT. Socially Mr. DAY is a member of the Odd Fellows and Masonic fraternities, and is very popular in the lodges. Being by nature genial, and possessing the faculty of gaining friends, he may well be regarded as one of the most popular as well as representative men of Mount Hope and the surrounding country.
This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck