Biography extracted from History of Sauk County, Wisconsin Chicago: Western Historical Company, published 1880.

Reedsburg:

John W. Blake, editor and proprietor of Reedsburg Free Press; was born at South Moulton, England, March 27, 1834; came to Columbus, Wis., with his parents, in June, 1848; remained there until August of same year, then came to Baraboo; is the son of Philip and Mary (May) Blake; his father lived at Baraboo about one year, them removed to Lemonweir, and there he died; his mother is still living and resides in Baraboo. John W. commenced learning the printer's trade in the fall of 1851; in 1862, in company of Charles E. Stuwart (now of Chicago), purchases the Baraboo Republic, and they continued the publication for about a year and a half, and, for one and a half years, Mr. Blake conducted it without a partner; he lived in Independence, Iowa, for a year and a half interested in the Bulletin; then returning to Baraboo, connected with the Independent as long as D.K. Noyes continued its publication. Mr. Blake has been in the printing business all this time except for five years before coming to Reedsburg; July 1, 1878, he purchased the Reedsburg Free Press, with J.H. Powers; Nov. 6, 1879, Mr. Powers retired. Mr. B. was Town Treasurer at Baraboo for five years, also Police Justice for a time. He was married in Baraboo to Mary E. Ambler, Nov. 13, 1856; she was born in Hillsdale, Mich., March 25, 1837; have had three children - Nettie M., Phillip Ambler (died Nov. 7, 1874, aged 13 years), and Louis C.

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