website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown,
Wisconsin
John
Ford, Sr
b. 1825
Derived in part from: The History of Jefferson County, Wisconsin
by C. W. Butterfield, 1879
John Ford, of the firm of Hamlin & Ford, dealers
in lumber, building-paper, paints, coal, etc.
Born in Scotland June 30, 1825; came to America and
located at Watertown in August, 1849.
For sixteen years, he worked at his trade of
plasterer, stone and brick mason; in 1863 and 1864, he spent a year and a half
in Arkansas in the Quartermaster’s Department of the United States Army;
afterward, he worked for a year at his trades and for seven years he was in the
office of the Chief Engineer of the
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company.
On February 1, 1873, he engaged in the lumber
business with Mr. Hamlin, and they have been associated together in the same
business ever since.
Mr. Ford was first Superintendent
of Schools under the union plan, afterward
Commissioner of Schools for the Sixth Ward for one year, and in 1878 was
Commissioner of Schools for the First Ward.
On December 3, 1847, he married Martha McKritchie; she was born in Scotland; they have had six
children; the living are James G., John C. and Julia
J.; lost three children; two
sons died in infancy; one daughter, Anna, died Dec. 29, 1866, aged 17 years. Mrs. Ford and Julia J. are members of the
Congregational Church.
Watertown City Directory, 1880
Res. s. s. Clyman, 2 w.
7th
Daughter Julia was a music teacher.
Hamlin & Ford (Joseph Hamlin and John Ford),
lumber, coal, sewer pipe and mixed paints, s.e. corner 4th and Clyman.
Civil War veteran
