WI BIO - Dane Co - HOYT, Lansing W.
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol I, pp 292-294

Lansing W. HOYT, one of the pioneers of Madison, Dane County, WI, who died at 
his home in the city of Madison on 30 Sep 1892, was born in Onondaga County, 
NY, 26 Jun 1817. His father, Philander HOYT, was a native of Stamford, CT, 
or Danbury, CT, [both in Fairfield County], and came of old New England 
stock. He grew up a farmer and later married Miss Perces WILCOX, who was 
born in Great Barrington [Berkshire County], MA, and came of MA parents. 
After marriage, Philander and Perces (WILCOX) HOYT settled in Onondaga 
County, NY, and there engaged in farming, but in 1822 Philander HOYT died, 
being only thirty-two years of age. During his life he had been prominent in 
local affairs and had taken great interest in the [p 293] Presbyterian 
Church. The HOYT family were all members of that denomination. After his 
death, Mrs. Perces HOYT was married a second time, in Onondaga County, NY, to 
Deacon Erastus BAKER, and they afterward lived in that county until their 
decease. Erastus BAKER lived to be about seventy years of age, and his wife 
about fifty-six. They were prominent members of the Presbyterian Church.

Lansing W. HOYT was but five years of age when his father [Philander HOYT] 
died, and he was reared by his mother, becoming her support in later years. 
She had been a teacher, was a woman of rare gifts, and was extraordinarily 
familiar with the poets of her time. After his mother's second marriage, 
Lansing W. HOYT set out for himself, having received his education in the 
schools of Onondaga County, and at Homer [Cortland County], NY. Later, when 
of age, he went to Bergen, Genesee County, NY, and there became a clerk in 
a store, later becoming a partner with the firm was known as Hubbard & Hoyt, 
continuing for some years. Prior to this he had been a teacher for some time 
in the public schools. He started out a poor boy and all that he ever 
possessed he made for himself. For many years he literally followed the 
scriptural injunction of giving a tenth of his income to charity and the 
church.

Lansing W. HOYT came west to WI in 1849, and after some months spent in 
Milwaukee, WI, in the fall of 1850, he came to Madison [Dane County, WI], 
where he remained until his lamented decease. He became interested in 
different business enterprises, in which he was successful, and had built for 
a residence one of the most beautiful homes which adorn the bluff overlooking 
Lake Monona, where he spent the last twenty-one years of his life. He was 
one of the first members of the Congregational Church at Madison, and for 
more than forty years was a Deacon in that denomination. He had held the 
office of Treasurer of Dane County, for years was a Republican and later an 
advocate of temperance principles. Always self sacrificing, he thought often 
of those who lacked the needful things of life, and his sympathy was ever 
ready, accompanied with a his purse to alleviate their wants.

Our subject was one of the hard working men of the world, and his means came 
to him by a steady application to business and a sterling honesty in all of 
his dealings. The first marriage of Lansing W. HOYT was in Bergen [Genesee 
County], NY, to Miss Louisa G. PIERSON, who was born and reared in NY, a 
daughter of Rev. Josias PIERSON, who was for more than sixty years a pastor 
of a Presbyterian Church in NY State, and who died in Bergen when full of 
years. Mrs. Louisa (PIERSON) HOYT died in Bergen [Genesee County, NY] in the 
prime of life, after the birth of two daughters, who had passed away before 
her death.

Lansing W. HOYT was married a second time in La Fayette, Onondaga County, NY, 
to Miss Mellie WILLIAMS. She was born and reared there and was educated. 
She was the intelligent and affable daughter of Dr. Chauncey and Betsey 
(COLE) WILLIAMS, natives of Great Barrington [Berkshire County], MA, and PA, 
respectively. Dr. and Mrs. WILLIAMS were married in La Fayette, Onondaga 
County, NY, and settled there where the Doctor practiced his profession for 
about fifty years, dying when sixty-seven years old to a day. His wife 
survived him a little more than a year, dying at the age of sixty-three years.

Lansing W. HOYT was associated in business with the well known firm of Fuller 
& Williams, and for some years was a partner of John A. JOHNSON, a modest, [p 
294] unassuming man whose deeds of kindness and self sacrifice in every 
relation of life are well remembered by those who knew him. Mrs. HOYT is the 
only surviving member of the four children born to Dr. Chauncey and Betsey 
(COLE) WILLIAMS. Her oldest brother, Chauncey L., was for many years a 
partner in the firm of Fuller & Williams, of Madison, WI; Olive C., died at 
the age of twenty-four years; and Henry C., died at the age of sixty-three.

Mrs. HOYT has three children: Olive, who is the wife of Hon. B. W. JONES 
[see also the Dane County, WI, biography of Burr W. JONES]; Frank W., married 
to Miss Mary C. CLARK, a daughter of J. T. CLARK, of Portage [Columbia 
County], WI; and Howard H., a resident of Milwaukee [Milwaukee County, WI], 
who married Miss Mary MITCHELL, daughter of Rev. James Y. MITCHELL, of PA. 

Submitted by Cathy Kubly