| Home Surname List Name Index Sources Email Us | Eighth Generation112. Wesson W. SOULE Sr. (<) (~) was born on 11 September 1791 in Danby, Rutland County, VT.1,3,26,27,41 From an article written by Geraldine (Sowle) Schlosser in the Monroe County Heritage Book: "Several Sowle families left Danby and Dorset, Vermont in 1855 to come to Monroe County, Wisconsin. Their reasons for leaving Vermont were primarily economic--not enough good farm land to support the growing families. According to family tradition they traveled in a wagon caravan. They made their way to Portage, where they left the women and children. The men walked on to Monroe County, where they staked out land. Then they traveled on to the La Crosse land office, where they filed claims. Their property was located in Wilton Township, and they named the settlement Dorset Corners, for the home they had left in Vermont. Those making the exodus were: Wesson Sowle, wife Elizabeth Curtis Sowle, and their adult children.... Of those who came to Wisconsin, William, Hiram, Abigail, Minerva and Darius remained in Monroe County; James, Helen, George, and John J. returned to Vermont; Mary Ann moved to Michigan; and Barbara settled in New York.... Wesson and James Sowle were 6th generation descendants of George Sowle, who came to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 on the Mayflower, and was one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact...." . He appeared in the census in 1850 in Dorset, Bennington County, VT.41 His name was listed as "Wiston Sowl " and his occupation was "Laborer." His household consisted of himself, his wife "Betsey;" their daughter Minerva, age 17; their daughter "Mary," age 10; and a "James Sowl," age 24, a "Student." The latter is not believed to have been their son, James, because he and his family were listed separately in the Census. . He lived at their home in Dorset, Bennington County, VT before 1855.3 They moved to Wilton Township, WI in 1855 and named their settlement Dorset Corners. Wesson appeared in the census in 1860 in Danby, Rutland County, VT.35 He was living with his brother John. His wife was listed in the census in Monroe County, Wisconsin, where she was living with their son James and his family. He died on 21 March 1888 at the age of 96 in Dorset, Bennington County, VT.27 Wesson W. SOULE Sr. (<) (~) and Elizabeth "Betsy" CURTIS were married about 1814.42 Elizabeth "Betsy" CURTIS, daughter of Nicholas CURTIS and Abigail ALLEN, was born on 2 April 1797 in Dorset, Bennington County, VT.27,41,43 (The 1850 Census listed her age as 58, indicating a birth year of about 1792.) She appeared in the census in 1850 in Dorset, Bennington County, VT.41 She appeared in the census in 1860 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.43 She was living with her son James and his family. Betsy died on 25 October 1865 at the age of 68 in Wilton, Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.3,27 She was buried in Dorset Corners, Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.3 Wesson W. SOULE Sr. (<) (~) and Elizabeth "Betsy" CURTIS had the following children:
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