TEAL, Joseph
Commemorative and Biographical Record of Columbia, Sauk and Adams Counties, 
WI. Chicago: Ogle, 1901, p 329-331

Joseph TEAL, one of the oldest and most respected pioneer citizens of Sauk 
County, WI, has been for many years an influencial citizen of Fairfield 
Township. He was born in the township of Wilmot, Merrimack County, NH, 22 
Nov 1827, and is a son of Benjamin and Thede (MORRILL) TEAL, both natives of 
NH. The senior TEAL was born in Corcord [County, MA] and his ancestors 
settled at Boston [Suffolk County, MA] at an early day, where Aaron TEAL, the 
grandfather of our subject, carried on a butcher shop. Two of his brothers 
served [p 330] in the Revolutionary army. One of these, Samuel TEAL, was an 
officer and was present at the battle of Lexington. Removing to NH, Aaron 
TEAL engaged in farming at Wilmot [Merrimack County, NH], where he lived to 
the age of 95 years and 6 months. His wife, Rebecca, lived to be 101. She 
was of Scotch-Irish descent, and reared a family of four sons and five 
daughters to maturity, and of these Benjamin was the oldest son. He removed 
from NH in 1855 and located in Essex County, NY, where he engaged in 
lumbering. He was a farmer later on in St. Lawrence County, NY, and in 1844 
came to IL, and lived a year at Crystal Falls [McHenry County?]. He came by 
the lakes from Ogdensburg [St. Lawrence County, NY] to Chicago [Cook County, 
IL], and was 18 days on the route. About a year later he drove two yoke of 
oxen through to Sauk County, WI, where a government survey had been made the 
previous season and the land thrown open to settlement. He and his sons took 
up 320 acres of land in sections 7 and 8, Fairfield Township [Sauk County, 
WI]. They broke a few acres that summer and spent the following winter on 
Webster Prairie. In the spring of 1846 he took possession of his Fairfield 
land and applied himself earnestly to its improvement. He built a log house 
and lived an industrious and useful life. He was born with the century, and 
died in 1884, having enjoyed good health until almost 80 years. His wife 
died in 1869. She was a native of Wilmot [Merrimack County], NH, where her 
father was a carpenter, and spent his life. She was the mother of seven 
children: (1) Hannah, the widow of P. J. PERSHALL, has her home in 
Fairfield Township [Sauk County, WI]; (2) Joseph, the subject of this 
article; (3) Lucy, married Benjamin CLARK and is now deceased; (4) Rebecca, 
married James BUTLER, and is now deceased; her second husband was Wyman 
GETCHELL; (5) Aaron, lives in Fairfield [Sauk County, WI]; (6) Susan, the 
widow of Porter BLACK, has her home in Baraboo [Sauk County, WI]; and (7) 
Almina, is Mrs. Joseph HACKETT, of Fairfield [Sauk County, WI].

Joseph TEAL came into Sauk County with his parents and in 1862 went to 
Carroll County, MO, where he spent two years. At the expiration of this time 
he came back to WI, and in 1866 settled in Valley Junction, Monroe County, 
WI, where he spent six years on a farm, at the same time becoming somewhat 
interested in cranberry culture. He was quite prominent in local affairs at 
that time, and was township assessor for three years, and chairman of the 
town board for one year. He was on a farm near Wilson, St. Croix County, WI, 
for six years, but for many years past has been a resident of Sauk County, 
occupying the land which he claimed in 1845, although not old enough to make 
his title good until three years later. He now owns 100 acres of good land, 
on which he long ago placed very substantial improvements. Generally 
throughout his life he has been a Democrat, but he voted for Abraham Lincoln 
during the Civil war. He is now an enthusiastic supporter of William 
Jennings Bryan.

Mr. TEAL is a member of the Sauk County old settlers' society, and with his 
brother, Aaron, is the oldest surviving pioneer of Fairfield Township. When 
they came there two families named ANDERSON, a Norwegian, and BRUNSON were 
living in the township. The nearest grist mill was at Dekorra [Columbia 
County, WI], and for some time the TEALs and their neighbors lived on meal 
ground in a coffee mill. The first grist mill built in Sauk County was a 
crude affair and put up on Leech Creek in Fairfield Township, by Mr. BRUNSON. 
His first and only customer was a man who brought some corn from a 
considerable distance, who finding that its reduction to meal was likely to 
be a long and tedious process, went home [p 331] to wait several days. When 
he came back expecting to find his grist ready, he was surprised to be 
informed that there was none, the BRUNSONs having consumed it as fast as 
ground. That rate of toll did not prove liberal enough to attract any more 
customers. Mr. TEAL has always been a vigorous man. When he lived on 
Webster Prairie he walked four miles daily to feed the cattle that had been 
left on the Fairfield farm. He walked once to Crystal Lake [McHenry 
County?], IL, and spent four days on the journey, and paid out one dollar as 
expenses. He was always a successful hunter; he shot many deer while Sauk 
County was new, and says that he used to see as many as 20 in a drove passing 
his house.

Joseph TEAL and Mary Frances GETCHELL, the latter a native of Sebec 
[Piscataquis County], ME, were married in Delton [Lake Delton, Sauk County], 
WI, 19 Oct 1852. She was a daughter of Mace GETCHELL, a shoemaker, who came 
into Sauk County in 1850. Here he engaged in farming in Fairfield Township 
[Sauk County, WI], and was elected the first justice of the peace in the 
town. Mrs. Mary TEAL died in Oct 1896. She was the mother of nine children, 
four of whom are living: (1) Albert, (2) Arthur, died when 7 years old; 
(3) Burr, born 30 May 1859, living near Salem [Polk or Marion County?], OR; 
(4) Curtis H., born 28 Mar 1861, died 22 Apr 1883; (5) Carrie F., born 05 
Apr 1866, now Mrs. Abel PARKER, of St. Croix County, WI; and (6) Minnie C., 
born 12 Apr 1868, now Mrs. John SNELLER, of Baraboo [Sauk County, WI]. [Note 
that only six of the nine children are named.]

A special paragraph may well be given to Albert TEAL. He was born 27 Dec 
1854, and grew to manhood under the parental roof. When he was 25 years old 
he went to St. Croix County, WI, and spent seven years in farm work, at the 
same time devoting considerable attention to the study of agriculture. Since 
1890 he has lived on the homestead farm and applied himself to its 
cultivation. He was married 18 Mar 1897 to Louisa ROSER, a daughter of 
Christian and Louisa ROSER, of the town of Baraboo [Sauk County, WI]. Mrs. 
TEAL is the mother of two children, Mary and Arthur. Mr. and Mrs. TEAL are 
highly commended by their neighbors as excellent people who are both 
industrious and accommodating, of strong moral character and frugal habits.

Contributed by Cathy Kubly