WI BIO - Adams Co - WOODRUFF, Martin R.

Commemorative & Biographical Record of Columbia, Sauk & Adams Counties, 
Wisconsin. Chicago: Ogle, 1901, pp 462-464

Martin R. WOODRUFF, a resident [p 463] of Quincy Township, Adams County, 
Wisconsin, and one of the pioneers settlers of the county who has done much 
to promote its growth, was born 08 April 1827 in Avon, Hartford County, 
Connecticut, the son of Romanty [Romanta?] and Nancy (ROBBINS) WOODRUFF. His 
maternal grandfather, John ROBBINS, fought in the Revolutionary War. His 
father, Romanty WOODRUFF, was born in Avon [Hartford County], Connecticut, of 
English extraction, and died in that place in 1839. The mother of our 
subject [Nancy (ROBBINS) WOODRUFF] was born in Wethersfield [Hartford 
County], Connecticut, and died in Avon [Hartford County], Connecticut in 
1880, at about age eighty. Both Romanty [Romanta?] and Nancy (ROBBINS) 
WOODRUFF are buried in Avon.

Martin WOODRUFF attended school and assisted his father on the farm until his 
twenty-second year, when he took a farm of Benjamin SEDGWICK, of Goshen 
[Litchfield County], Connecticut, father of General SEDGWICK, which he 
[Martin WOODRUFF] conducted for about three years. In 1854 he decided to try 
his fortune in the West, and accordingly came to Wisconsin, and engaged in 
lumbering above Stevens Point [Portage County] and on the Yellow River. He 
stayed for a short time with his brother, Julius R. [WOODRUFF], of Baraboo, a 
prominent farmer of Sauk County, and in 1880 came to Quincy Township, Adams 
County, and bought about 500 acres, on which he makes his present home. 

On 25 December 1869 Mr. [Martin] WOODRUFF married Mrs. Mary (HADLOCK) CHASE, 
of Quincy [Adams County, Wisconsin], widow of Samuel CHASE, and a daughter of 
Winthrop and Roxanna (SANBORN) HADLOCK, of Bath, New Hampshire. Mrs. 
WOODRUFF [then Mary HADLOCK] was born 12 September 1837 in Bath [Grafton 
County], New Hampshire, and moved when twelve years of age [by calculation 
from her given birthdate, in 1849 or 1850] with her parents from Hartford 
[Hartford County], Connecticut, to Quincy [Adams County], Wisconsin. They 
went by way of the lakes to Milwaukee and thence by ox team, one week being 
required for the overland trip. The country around Quincy was a wilderness, 
and there were but three white families in that vicinity. They went to 
Portage [Columbia County, Wisconsin] for mail and provisions. Bear and deer 
were plentiful, and other evidences of wildlife were to be found. The 
Indians were numerous, but quiet, and no difficulties were experienced on 
their account. Her parents built a log house about two miles from where she 
now has her home, and there were no schools, but before going to Wisconsin 
she had learned to read and write, and continued her studies alone, gaining a 
good education.

She [Miss Mary HADLOCK] was married at the age of eighteen to Samuel CHASE of 
Quincy [Adams County, Wisconsin], the wedding occurring on 06 February 1857. 
Mr. [Samuel] CHASE enlisted in the Civil War and went to New Orleans [Orleans 
Parish, Louisiana], where he died after three months of service. To Samuel 
and Mary (SANBORN) CHASE three children were born: (1) Alvin, born 03 May 
1859, residing at home; (2) George, born 14 October 1861, now at home; and 
(3) Samuel H., born 20 November 1863, now at work in the woods of Wisconsin. 
Mrs. WOODRUFF's father [Winthrop HADLOCK] met his death in a sawmill a short 
time prior to the death of the mother [Roxanna (SANBORN) HADLOCK], who died 
in March 1893 at Delton, Sauk County, Wisconsin; she was the daughter of 
Benjamin and Marin SANBORN, of Bath [Grafton County], New Hampshire. 

Mr. and Mrs. WOODRUFF [Martin and Mary WOODRUFF] are the parents of three 
children: (1) Alice M., born 26 August 1868, now Mrs. J. AUSTIN, of Vernon, 
Waukesha County, WI; (2) Annie, born 04 July 1871; and (3) Winthrop, born 
20 August 1873, a mechanic who is employed in the machine shops in Chicago 
[Cook County, Illinois]. Mr. [Martin] WOODRUFF is a member of Quincy Lodge, 
No. 72, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons. In political faith he is a free 
silver man and well versed on the topics of the day. He has been called upon 
to fill various township offices, and in every way possible has promoted the 
general welfare of Adams County.

Martin WOODRUFF has gathered about him an estate and a competence to tide him 
through his declining years. He is a progressive agriculturist, and his farm 
bears evidence of modern methods for the tilling of the soil and the care of 
his products. He engages extensively in stock raising, and has some fine 
specimens of sheep and hogs. He has erected a comfortable residence and 
commodious barns, and every detail of the work is done with the least labor 
possible and in the most approved method.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly