The following is an excerpt taken from

BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW

of

DANE COUNTY

WISCONSIN

Containing Biographical Sketches of Pioneers and Leading Citizens.

CHICAGO

BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW PUBLISHING CO.

1893

Pages 457, 458, and 459.

John Howie, a farmer of Dane county, Wisconsin, was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1832, a son of Andrew Howie, a native of the same county. His parents, John and Elizabeth (Hepburn) Howie, were also natives of Ayrshire, where they died in middle life. They had four sons; Andrew, father of our subject; John, who died in Scotland in 1855, in the prime of life; William, still resides in Scotland; and Robert, who came to America some years after his eldest brother, and resides on the Hudson river, New York, where he is a retired contractor and builder. Andrew Howie was married in Scotland, to Mary, a daughter of Peter and Mary (Galbraith) Shaw. In the spring of 1840 they came on the Scotch sail vessel, Romules, to America, landing in New York after a voyage of six weeks and three days. They first stopped for a few months in Passaic Falls, New Jersey, resided in Albany, New York, six years, and in the spring of 1846 moved to Hope township, Hamilton county, that State, where the father and sons engaged in farming and lumbering. In 1855 the father and sons came to Wisconsin on a prospecting tour, the family following two years later, and they engaged in teaming in Madison. The family then lived on a rented farm near the Madison University, and in 1859 purchased 166 acres of the farm now owned by our subject, for which they paid $2,000. This place was all prairie land, except fifteen acres of timber. The mother died in December, 1860, in her fifty-sixth year, leaving ten children. The father departed this life four and a half years later, at the age of fifty-eight years, and both were buried on their farm.

Neil Howie, the second son of Andrew Howie, and a brother of our subject, completed a full course in the University Commercial School in the winter of 1867. During his short earthly career he won a reputation for unswerving honor and integrity, and also for the most intrepid and undaunted courage. The following spring after his graduation he started alone from Madison, Wisconsin, for Pike's Peak, the new El Dorado, as it was then called, to search for gold. Taking the cars to Leavenworth, Kansas, he there joined an emigrant train, going across the plains with ox teams. After a few days with this company, during which time they lost two men, May 22, in a terrible blizzard, he and one companion started out alone and on foot. They carried their rifles and a blanket, and arrived in Denver, Colorado, nearly three weeks before their train. Mr Howie immediately traded his rifle for a miner's outfit, and begun prospecting with such success that he sold one of his claims for $4,500. The following fall he returned home to see his mother, but arriving only a few days before death came to relieve her of suffering. In the spring of 1861 he again started for Pike's Peak, with a horse team and camping outfit, and in company with several others. After remaining there for two years with varying success, he emigrated to Montana Territory in the summer of 1868, and engaged in mining near Virginia city. While in montana, in the rough and perilous time of the road agents and highwaymen, he was known as the bravest of the brave, and distinguished himself several times in bringing many of the most dangerous to justice. He was one of the vigilantes, who redeemed that section from the reign of terror and most atrocious murders in the annals of modern history. One instance of his bravery and valuable service deserves a special mention. In January, 1864, when the vigilantes were organized for the redemption of Montana, and while engaged in teaming, he met a notorious highwayman, nicknamed Dutch Wagner. The latter, in company with a bad Indian, was about to flee from justice. Mr Howie urged two companies of freighters to help him secure this murderer, but they refused, and he resolved to take him single-handed and alone. He hailed him as he was riding away with his companion, saying: "Hello, Captain, I want to speak to you." The fellow halted, and Howie's quick hand grasped his revolver, advanced towards the Dutchman, he took hold of the barrel of his gun, and told him to dismount and come with him. The man obeyed, and was taken to the headquarters of the vigilantes, and afterward hung. Soon after this Mr Howie was appointed Deputy Sheriff; in May, 1867, was made Sheriff by Governor Edgerton; March 22 1867, was chosen Colonel of the Montana troops in the Indian war; appointed United States Marshall of Montana, by President Johnson; and later went to South America, where he died July 12, 1878, in the prime of life. This is another proof of the law of heredity. A brother of his grandmother, Adam Hepburn, distinguished himself as a member of the celebrated Scotch Greys, in the battle of Waterloo, and also in a personal combat killed two of Napoleon's cavalry. Mr Hepburn was an active participant in the battle of Waterloo, where this combat took place.

John Howie, the subject of this sketch, is engaged in farming on his fine place of 200 acres, on section 33, Vienna township, Dane county. This land was purchased by the father and three sons of William R Taylor, and after the father's death our subject purchased the interests of his two brothers. He has given his attention principally to horticulture, and the place is now known as Pine Lawn, from the large number of beautiful trees of the pine family embowering it. Among these are the Norway, White, Scotch, Austrian, Grey and Mountain pine, also several varieties of the spruce balsam, and cedar. Many of these were planted twenty-eight years ago, and have attained a spread of forty-four feet, and fifty feet heighth.

Mr Howie was married October 24, 1861, to Mary A. Lamont, a sister of Thayer G. Lamont. To this union was born four children: Jean, eighteen years of age, is pursuing her studies at home, and also teaching music; Neil, aged seventeen years, works on the home farm; John, aged fourteen years is attending school; and William Thayer, born August 17, 1889, has been reared by Mr Howie's sister, mrs W.W. Potter, of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Mr Howie met a heavy and sad loss in the death of his wife, August 17, 1889, in her forty-fifth year. Our subject was formerly a Republican, but now espouses the movement to abolish the American saloon. He has frequently been elected to offices of trust by his fellow townsmen, and in 1889 was elected and served as Chairman of the board of Supervisors. He is a member in good standing of Madison Lodge, No 5, A.F.& A.M.

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