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- CHARLES W. TOMKINS. Among the flourishing
- industries of Albany, Green county, is that of milling, and
a progressive firm doing business in that line is that of WARREN
& TOMKINS, custom millers, who own a large grist and flour
mill, and also manage the city electric light plant. The younger
member of the firm is Charles W. TOMPINS, the subject of this
sketch.
- Mr. TOMKINS was born in County Wicklow, Ireland,
- Feb. 29, 1832, a son of Charles and Margaret (WARREN) TOMKINS,
both of whom were natives of Ireland. A family of nine children
was born to them: Elizabeth, deceased wife of
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- Simpson TILLEY, of Albany, Wis.; John W., of New Town, Ireland;
Peter, of Milton, Wis.; Margaret, widow of Thomas JAMES, of Rathdrum,
Ireland; Charles W., our subject; Mary Ann, who lives with her
brother John in the old home in Ireland; Robert and William,
both deceased; and Joseph, who lives in County Wexford, a prosperous
farmer. Our subject's father was a miller by occupation. He died
in Ireland at the age of eighty-four, in 1861, his wife, who
survived a number of years, being ninety-three at the time of
her death. In religion she was an Episcopalian, but Mr. TOMKINS
belonged to the Walkerites, old Scotch seceders. Two of his brothers
belong to the Yeomanry.
- Peter TOMKINS, the paternal grandfather, a native of Ireland,
was a miller by occupation. He lived
- to be about ninety years old, and died leaving six children.
John WARREN, the maternal grandfather, was about eighty-eight
at the time of his death. He was a farmer in the old country,
and had been a successful business man.
- Charles W. TOMKINS was reared in Ireland, and early taught
the value of honest toil, entering his
- father's mill as soon as he was old enough to work. He attended
the common schools of his district. In 1850 he came to America
and located at Milton, Wis., where he remained but a short time,
removing later to Janesville, and there securing employment in
the mill of JACKMAN & SMITH, in which place he continued
for two years. At Albany was located the large mill property
of the WARRENs and at this time Mr. TOMKINS entered their employ,
in 1868 becoming a partner of Eugene WARREN; this partnership
has lasted to the present time, the firm name being WARREN &
TOMKINS.
- The marriage of Mr. TOMKINS to Miss Lucy Ann HOYT, a daughter
of Benjamin and Abigail
- (EMMONS) HOYT, took place Aug. 3, 1860, and of the children
born of their union one son, Arthur W., survives. He married
Miss May E. LOCKRIDGE, of Albany, and they have two interesting
children, Ethel E. and Charles Neil. Two other children were
born to our subject and wife, whose decease cast a lasting shadow
over their lives: Warren, a brilliant young man, died at the
age of twenty-two when within one year of graduation from the
Wisconsin State University, at Madison; and their only daughter,
Estella, passed away at the age of twelve. In 1885 our subject
erected his pleasant home in Albany, where he still resides,
and is considered one of the most respected citizens of the town.
During his years in this locality, Mr. TOMKINS has seen many
changes and has borne his part in the advancement of every interest
in favor or religion, education and temperance. Politically he
calls himself an independent, using his own judgment regarding
his ballot. Both he and Mrs. TOMKINS belong to the religious
society denominated Christians, Mr. TOMKINS having been one of
the prime movers in locating the church in Albany.
- Benjamin HOYT, Mrs. TOMKINS's father, was born in 1809 in
Maine, and married Abigail
- EMMONS, who was born in that State in 1811, and is still
living. They had nine children, all yet living, the youngest
now forty-five years of age, a remarkable record. John EMMONS,
Mrs. HOYT's father, was born in Maine in 1787.
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-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin,"
(c)1901 Union Publishing; pp. 464-465.
-
- Courtesy of Carol.
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