- HON. JOSEPH B. TREAT, of Monroe, is one of the most prominent
citizens of Green county,
- throughout which he is known and esteemed, not only as a
successful business man, but also for his high character and
his excellent record as a financier.
- Joseph TREAT, his paternal grandfather, was a native of Maine,
of English lineage, and was a
- merchant and farmer by occupation, with residence in the
city of Frankfort, that State, where he died at a very advanced
age. He had a family of five children. Oliver PARKER (maternal
grandfather of Joseph B.), also a native of Maine, born of English
ancestry, and an agriculturist by vocation, was ninety-two years
old when he died; his family consisted of seven children.
- Nathaniel TREAT (father of Joseph B.), also of Maine nativity,
was a lumberman on the
- Penobscot river, in that State, until his coming in 1870
to Wisconsin, when he located in Monroe, whither all his children
had preceded him. Here he died in 1895, and although at his death
he had attained the patriarchal age of ninety-six years, he did
not require the use of glasses. He was a highly educated man,
and wrote considerably for the columns of the current newspapers,
one month before his death having contributed an able article
on the tariff. In politics he was a Democrat, but in 1892 voted
for Harrison. While living in Maine he served as selectman, and
as a member of the State Legislature. In 1823 he married Mary
P. PARKER, also a native of Frankfurt, Maine, and ten children
were born to them, five of whom are yet living, namely: Ezra
Parker, Joseph B., Nathaniel B., Susan Alice (widow of Samuel
CHANDLER), and Mary P. (widow of William BLOOM), all of Monroe,
Wis., except Mrs. BLOOM, who is a resident of Chicago. The mother
of these died in 1882, aged eighty-two years. She and her husband
were both identified with the Universalist Church.
- Joseph B. TREAT, of whom this memoir more particularly relates,
was born Dec. 22, 1836, in
- Orono, Maine, where he was reared and educated. At the age
of eighteen he commenced business for himself in his native town,
as a general merchant, and continued as such until 1860, in that
year coming to Wisconsin and settling in Monroe. Here he established
a dry-goods business, which he conducted until 1892, when he
sold out, and embarked in the lumbering industry in Green county,
engaging in same exclusively for several years, and to some extent
at the present time. For the past twenty-five years he has been
vice-president of the First National Bank, of Monroe (the first
National bank established in the county); he has also interested
himself in manufacturing and other industries of Monroe, which
at all times receive his substantial encouragement.
- On Jan. 18, 1859, Mr. TREAT was united in marriage with Miss
Priscilla W. GOULD, daughter
- of Niah and Priscilla (WHITNEY) GOULD, and two sons have
been born to them: Charles G., born in 1859, in Dexter, Maine,
graduated in 1882 from West Point, where he is now commandant.
He married Miss Margaret CORNELL, of New York City, and they
have three children, Joseph B., Margaret and Catherine. Harry
W., born in 1865, in Monroe, is a graduate of Cornell University;
at present he is in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he is
engaged in mining. He married Olive M. GRAEF, of New York.
- In religious faith Mr. and Mrs. TREAT are Universalists.
In politics he is a Republican, and for the
- past two years has been chairman of the Republican State
Central committee; from 1876 to 1880 he was a member of the State
Senate; has served as mayor of the city of Monroe, two terms;
was supervisor several terms and chairman of the county board;
for four years he was a member of the city school board. Socially
he is affiliated with Ivanhoe Lodge, F. & A.M., Monroe, also
of the Chapter, and of Janesville Commandery, No. 2, and he is
prominently identified with the I. O.O.F. In every relation of
life Mr. TREAT has borne an honorable part as an upright patriotic,
loyal citizen, and is justly classified among the representative
men of Green county.
-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin,"
(c)1901 Union Publishing; pp. 375-376.
-
- Courtesy of Carol.
|