Eighth Generation

136. Harvey McKentyre SOWLE (<) (~) was born on 11 Feb 1846 in Dorset, Bennington County, VT.^32,37,71 He appeared in the census in 1850 in Dorset, Bennington County, VT.³⁰ He appeared in the census in 1860 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.³¹ He appeared in the census in 1870 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.³⁶ About 1880 he was a realtor in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁴ He was the first realtor in Tomah. He appeared in the census in 1880 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.³⁷ His occupation was listed as "clerk in store." He appeared in the census in 1920 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁷² He appeared in the census in 1930 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁷³ He and three of his children lived at 1221 Stoughton Avenue. He died on 20 Aug 1931 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^4,32,71,74

Newspaper Article about the Dorset Valley School reunion in November 2002: "The history of Dorset School and Dorset Valley began around 1868, when land was purchased on Jan. 11 from James LaRue and Horace Hayward. Dorset was established in 1854 when Harvey Sowle, son of Hiram, came to Dorset from Dorset, Bennington County, Vermont, along with three brothers and their families and the Hayward family. They named Dorset, Monroe County, after their home in Vermont.

Dorset became a hub of the valley, with Sorge's Skimming Station; also Burr Hubbard had a cooper shop, making wooden barrels with wooden hoops. The railroad was available for products such as potatoes, hay and wood being shipped from a side rail located on the west end of Tunnel #1--located between Kendall and Wilton.

A cemetery located on the hill opposite the school building, where burials were made of the early settlers' families and present day families. Many funerals were held in the school building, as many as three a week, because of the location. The school term was geared to the four winter months and three summer months, to accommodate the early working families. Later, around 1903, teachers were hired for a period of eight months, and then nine months.

Teachers were required to build their own fires, and usually were boarded in homes located close to the school. The following wages were received monthly ranging in 1888, $18 to $50 by 1917, averaging about $25 to $30 during that period. The schoolhouse was closed in the spring of 1963, when the Wilton District consolidated with Kendall and Elroy School Districts."


Excerpts from an article about the Sowle Family Reunion, held 24 Aug 2002: "The descendants of Pilgrim George Soule, 35th signer of the Mayflower Compact, met for a two-day reunion on Aug. 24-25 at Dorset Valley, Wilton Township and Lake Tomah.

In 1855, descendants of Pilgrim George Soule Sowle, of the Mayflower, left their homes in Dorset and Danby, Vermont, and started to travel in covered wagons looking for good farmland. Among those was nine year old Harvey McKentyre Sowle, a direct descendant of Pilgrim George Sowle. He traveled with his father, Hiram Sowle, and other relatives.

When the descendants reached Portage, they left their tired wives, children and horses, and then the men walked until they found a valley they decided was their new settlement. They registered their land at the La Crosse office and brought their families to the valley, and they called the valley Dorset Valley, after the home they had left in Vermont. This valley is located in Wilton Township, 12 miles south of Tomah.

Harvey McKentyre Sowle later settled in Tomah and was the first realtor in Tomah. One of the buildings he owned is still on Main Street, downtown in Tomah."

. He was buried in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁷⁵ in the Oak Grove Cemetery.

Harvey McKentyre SOWLE (<) 23 county, edna tomah, smith (~) married 1878 township,>32,71 Edna King SMITH (daughter of John SMITH and Margaret REYNOLDS) was born on 23 Jun 1859 in Adrian Township, Monroe County, WI.^37,71 She died on 27 Apr 1904 in Monroe County, WI.^71,76 She was buried in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁷⁵ in the Oak Grove Cemetery. Harvey McKentyre SOWLE (<) (~) and Edna King SMITH had the following children:

+176	i.	Claude Raymond SOWLE Sr..
+177	ii.	Harold Burdette SOWLE.
178	iii.	Ethel Claire SOWLE was born in 1881.71 She appeared in the census in 1930 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.73 She was living with her father. She died in 1974. She was buried in 1974 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.75 in the Oak Grove Cemetery.
+179	iv.	Edith May SOWLE.
180	v.	John Cleveland SOWLE was born in 1885.71 He died in 1906 in Chippewa Falls, Chippewa County, WI.71 He was buried in 1906 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.75 in the Oak Grove Cemetery.
+181	vi.	Irma Agnes SOWLE.
182	vii.	Hiram Wesson SOWLE was born in 1887.71 He died in 1887.71,75 He was buried in 1887 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.75 in the Oak Grove Cemetery.
+183	viii.	Lucy Edna SOWLE.
+184	ix.	Ernest "Kyle" SOWLE.
+185	x.	Alfred Winifred SOWLE.
186	xi.	Harriet Marguerite SOWLE was born on 6 Dec 1896 in Monroe County, WI.48,71 She died in 1976 in Sparta, Sparta Township, Monroe County, WI.71
+187	xii.	Florence "Ferne" SOWLE.
+188	xiii.	Forrest Smith SOWLE.
189	xiv.	Cecil Carl SOWLE died on 12 Mar 1904.71,75 He was born in 1904.71 He was buried in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.75 in the Oak Grove Cemetery.

Harvey McKentyre SOWLE (<) county, tomah, jackson (~) married luella 17 1869 township,>32,41,71 Luella Marilla JACKSON was born in 1851 in Minnesota.^71,75 (The Oak Grove Cemetery records list her year of birth as 1850.) She appeared in the census in 1870 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.³⁶ She died on 3 Oct 1876.⁷¹ She was buried in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁷⁵ in the Oak Grove Cemetery. Harvey McKentyre SOWLE (<) (~) and Luella Marilla JACKSON had the following children:

+190	i.	Myrtle Luella SOWLE.
191	ii.	Montee SOWLE was born about 1873 in Wisconsin.37
+192	iii.	Herbert Anson "Herb" SOWLE (<) (~).