WI BIO - Dodge Co - RILEY, Philip

History of Dodge County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical, 1880, p 732

Philip RILEY, farmer, Section 27, P. O. Richwood [Shields Township, Dodge 
County, Wisconsin], was born in 1815 in County Longford, Ireland. He came to 
America in 1837, and spent eight years in Westchester, New York, as a 
quarryman. [The author probably means "Westchester County" in New York 
State, but could be the community of "West Chester," then in Westchester 
County; today the community of "Westchester" is in Bronx County.] He then 
lived in Canada until June 1845, when he came to [the Territory of] Wisconsin 
with his family; reached Watertown on 04 July [1845?], and at once bought his 
farm of 160 acres, getting his Government duplicate at [the land office in] 
Milwaukee. [The State of Wisconsin was created 29 May 1848. Watertown is a 
border community, located in Emmet Township, Dodge County, but also in 
Watertown Township, Fond du Lac County.]

The farm was a wilderness, as was the country around it. Mr. RILEY reached 
it [the farm] by the aid of blazed trees, but on trying to revisit it later, 
he lost his way in the forest. Mr. RILEY says roads and bridges and 
neighbors were scarce, but that deer, bears and Indians were plenty. The 
latter were generally peaceable, though they killed a settler to the north of 
him, which brought out the U. S. Cavalry and caused much excitement. Mr. and 
Mrs. RILEY barricaded their door one night with barrels against a 
half-drunken crowd of Indians. He was a frontier settler for two years, and 
was glad enough to welcome Mr. Peter HIGGINS, his first neighbor.

He [Philip RILEY] married Miss Margaret McCAIG, a native of County Antrim, 
Ireland, who came to America and New York State in 1840. They [Philip and 
Margaret (McCAIG) RILEY] have six children: Charles, Bridget, Eliza, Philip, 
Michael, and John. Mr. [Philip] RILEY is a Democrat, and he and his family 
are Roman Catholics. His forest farm is now reclaimed and transformed into a 
home. 

Submitted by Cathy Kubly