Thomas Caldie, a representative farmer residing in Section 23, Stiles township, Oconto County, has made his home on his present farm for thirty-one years. The history of frontier life in this locality is familiar to him, and he has borne his part in the work of upbuilding and development. There were no roads, no improvement and little indication of the progress of civilization when he located in his neighborhood. He purchased eighty acres of wild timber land, built theron a log house, 18' x 24', and began to clear the land. Slowly but surely he subdued the tract, transforming it into richly cultivated fields, and in 1879 the cabin home was replaced by a comfortable two story frame residence which today stands in the midst of a well-improved farm.
Mr. Caldie came to Oconto County in 1863 from Ottawa, Canada, where he had located the year previous. He was born in Ayreshire, Scotland, December 20, 1824, and is a son (of) James and Agnes (Ross) Caldie, the former born in Maybole, Ayrshire, and the latter in Inverness-shire. She, however, was reared in the Highlands, and thei marriage was celebrated in Ayrshire. The father there engaged in bookkeeping for the firm of Capbell & Hunter and also followed teaching. In 1840 he crossed the Atlantic to Canada where he engaged in teaching in the town of March until his death in 1857. His wife, who survived him eight years, also passed away in Canada. Their family numbered six children: Mary became the wife of Mr. Fisher, who for twenty-one years was an engineer in Scotland, and died on his engine; she now resides in Low-Cross, in her native land. Thomas is the next younger. Andrew and James reside in Canada.
Our subject spent his boyhooddays in his native land, and attended school in Ayreshire. He then followed farming until 1862, when as before stated, he crossed the Atlantic to America. In the same year he was married in Ottawa, Canada to Miss Jane McFarland whowas born in Stirlingshire, Scotland, and is a daughter of James Mc Farland, also a native of that place. He spent his entire life in that country, but his entire family emigrated to Canada, his son Thomas now residing in Toronto; William died in Ottawa. Shortly after his marriage, Mr. Caldie broght his bride to Oconto County, and they located in the midst of the wilderness.
Five children came to bless their pioneer home: Ed, the eldest married Magaret Butterfield, by who he has three children - George, Theron, and Sylvia and resided in Oconto, and later in Menominee, Michigan.
Thomas married Mary Duame, and is living in Stiles in the same house where his father resided thirty years ago; he has eight children - Thomas, Granvill, Claude, Hazel, Herscel, Andy, Gordon, and Gladys. Elizabeth is the wife of Azro Williams of Oconto, and they have three children - Maude, Thomas, and Ruby. James married Anna Hodgins and they had five children - Jane (Jean), Clyde, Lyle, Ila, and James. Andrew completes the family. He is married and living in Stephenson, Michigan and has two children. Mr. Caldie was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife who passed away March 14, 1890.
In political views, our subject was formerly a Republican, afterward becoming identified with the Democracy. He has served as supervisor for two years but never has been an office-seeker, preferring to devote his time and energies to his business. In matters of religion he holds membership with the Presbyterian Church. He belongs to that class of self-reliant and energetic men, who realizing the fact success is the outgrowth of diligence and enterprise depending upon their own resources for advancement, and work their way upward to a position of affluence. Jane McFarland's date of birth was handwritten in the margin of the text as "B.D. 5/13/32" The following additional information was included with the document we received: The following are the names of those laid to rest in the Evergreen Cemetary in Oconto, Wisconsin:
Ila Caldie (1904-1904) 6 mo. daaughter of James and Anna Caldie - Holy Cross, Racine, WI
(li)Anna Hodgins Caldie (1871-1957)