William Marion SYLVESTER

Father: William SYLVESTER
Mother: Mary HUMPHREY

Family 1: Maria COOK

(1) Wisconsin, U.S., Marriage Records via Ancestry.com

  1. Mary SYLVESTER
  2. Frank SYLVESTER
  3. Bertha SYLVESTER
  4. Clifford SYLVESTER
  5. Raymond SYLVESTER
                                           _William SYLVESTER _
                      _Charles SYLVESTER _|
                     |                    |_Mary SPRINGER _____
 _William SYLVESTER _|
|                    |                     _Caleb BARKER ______
|                    |_Lucy BARKER _______|
|                                         |_Illathera HOWLAND__
|
|--William Marion SYLVESTER
|
|                                          ____________________
|                     ____________________|
|                    |                    |____________________
|_Mary HUMPHREY _____|
                     |                     ____________________
                     |____________________|
                                          |____________________

Notes

Updated March 9, 2023. Compiled by Howder (www.howderfamily.com) from the following source(s):

(1) 1850 United States Census for Maine, Franklin Co., Phillips: August 10, 1850.

William M. SYLVESTER is the son of William and Mary SYLVESTER. He is 14 years old, born in Maine and is attending school.

(2) 1860 United States Census for Wisconsin, Grant Co., the Town of Blue River, Castle Rock Post Office: Page 134; July 26, 1860.

William M. SYLVESTER is the son of William and Mary SYLVESTER. He is 24 years old, and a farmer with real estate valued at $400 and personal estate valued at $250. He was born in Maine.

(3) Wisconsin, U.S., Marriage Records via Ancestry.com

- County: Grant
- Husband: Wm M SYLVESTER
- Parents: Wm and Mary SYLVESTER
- Occupation: Farmer
- Residence: Blue River
- Birthplace: Maine
- Wife: Maria COOK
- Parents: Henry and Elizabeth COOK
- Date of Marriage: June 8th, 1863
- Location: Lancaster
- Ceremony: Minister
- Officiant: R. DUDGEON, of Lancaster

(4) U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records via Ancestry.com: Third Congressional District of Wisconsin; June 1863.

- Residence: Blue River
- Name: SYLVESTER, William M.
- Age: 27
- Marital Status: Married
- Birthplace: Vermont

(5) National Park Service Civil War Soldiers and Sailor System Search by Soldier Name (database).

Served as a Private in 42nd Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company D. The Regiment was "organized at Madison, Wis., and mustered in September 7, 1864. Moved to Cairo, Ill., September 20-22. Assigned to post and garrison duty at Cairo and provost duty by detachments at various points in Illinois till June, 1865. Mustered out June 20, 1865."

(6) U.S., Civil War Soldiers via Ancestry.com

- Name: William M. SYLVESTER
- Side: Union
- Regiment State/Origin: Wisconsin
- Regiment: 42nd Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry; Company D
- Rank In/Out: Private
- Film Number: M559 roll 29

(7) U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles via Ancestry.com

- Name: William M SYLVESTER
- Enlistment Date: 10 Aug 1864
- Enlistment Rank: Sergeant
- Muster Date: 10 Aug 1864
- Muster Place: Wisconsin
- Muster Company: D
- Muster Regiment: 42nd Infantry
- Muster Regiment Type: Infantry
- Muster Information: Enlisted
- Muster Out Date: 20 Jun 1865
- Muster Out Place: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Side of War: Union
- Survived War?: Yes
- Residence Place: Blue River, Wisconsin
- Title: Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers: War of the Rebellion

(8) 1870 United States Census for Wisconsin, Grant Co., Blue River (Muscoda Post Office): Page 5; August 13, 1870.

W. Marion SYLVESTER is head of household, married to Maria [COOK] SYLVESTER. He is 34 years old, born in Maine and is a farmer with real estate valued at $3,600 and personal estate valued at $1,000. Children in the household are Mary SYLVESTER (age 6, b. Wisconsin) and Frank SYLVESTER (age 3, b. Wisconsin).

(9) 1875 Wisconsin State Census for Grant Co., the Town of Blue River: Page 5; June 1, 1875.

William SYLVESTER is the head of family. There art 4 male and 6 female members of the household.

(10) 1880 United States Census for Nebraska, Hamilton Co., Hamilton Precinct: Supervisor's District 1; Enumeration District 99; Page 8; June 14, 1880.

William M. SYLVESTER is head of household, married to Maria [COOK] SYLVESTER. He is 44 years old and was born in Maine, as were his parents. He is a farmer. Children in the household, all born in Wisconsin, are Mary (age 16), Frank (age 12), Bertha (age 7) and Clifford (age 2).

(11) Kansas, U.S., Grand Army of the Republic Post Reports via Ancestry.com

- Post: W.S. Robertson Post, No. 428; Goodland, Sherman Co., Kansas
- Date: 3 Sept 1888
- Name: Wm. M. SYLVESTER
- Age: 52
- Birthplace: Maine
- Residence: Goodland
- Occupation: Farmer
- Entry Into Service: Aug 10, 64; Private, Co. D, 42 Wis
- Final Discharge: Jun 27, 1865; Private, Co. D, 42 Wis
- Length of Service: 10 m, 13 day
- Cause of Discharge: Close of War

(12) Newspapers.com: The Garden City Herald; Garden City, Kansas, 25 Apr 1896, Sat; Page 4.

"Clifford, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. M. SYLVESTER, was born in the state of Wisconsin, October 25th, 1877. After a serious illness of some three weeks he departed this life April 16th, 1896, aged 18 years, 5 months, and 21 days... we desire to express our thanks to the many friends and neighbors who so kindly assisted us in so many ways during the sickness of our son Clifford, and expressly would we thank his teachers and schoolmates for their touching tributes to his memory."

(13) 1900 United States Census for Kansas, Finney Co., Garden City Twp.: Supervisor's District 7; Enumeration District 42; Sheets 5B-6A; June 14-16, 1900.

William SYLVESTER is head of household, married to Maria [COOK] SYLVESTER. Children in the household are Raymond SYLVESTER (b. Jun 1880 in Nebraska) and Bertha [SYLVESTER] CROW (b. Apr. 1873 in Wisconsin). Their granddaughter Genevive CROW (b. Apr. 1899 in Kansas) also resides in the household.

- Birth date: January 1836; age 64
- Number of Years of Present Marriage: 37 years
- Birthplace: Maine, as were his parents
- Occupation: Farmer
- Home: Owns his farm free of mortgage

(14) 1905 Kansas State Census for Finney Co., Garden City: Page 7.

William SYLVESTER is head of household, married to Maria [COOK] SYLVESTER. He is 69 years old. He was born in Maine, came to Kansas from Nebraska and is a gardener. Their daughter Bertha [SYLVESTER] CROW (age 31) and granddaughter Jenevive (age 5) also reside in the household.

(15) U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files via Ancestry.com

- Name of Soldier: SYLVESTER, William M.
- Widow: SYLVESTER, Maria
- Service: D 42 Wis. Inf.
- Invalid Pension: application 728097; certificate 707454; filed from Kansas; 1889, Sept 6
- Widow Pension: application 937454; certificate 702058; filed from Kansas; 1910, Mar 7

(16) Obituary via Newspapers.com: The Goodland Republic and Goodland News; Goodland, Kansas, 25 Feb 1910, Fri; Page 1.

"WILLIAM SYLVESTER DEAD. Father of Frank SYLVESTER and Former Resident Here. William M. SYLVESTER died Monday, February 21, at his home in Garden City, Kan., after an Illness of about three months. He was first taken ill at the home of his son, Frank SYLVESTER, living about eight miles west of Goodland, November 3, of erysipelas and blood poisoning, and later of heart disease of which he finally died. He was taken to his home in Garden City November 6. He rallied somewhat, but gradually failed in health and strength until death came to his release. He leaves a wife and four children, two sons and two daughters, Frank SYLVESTER of this county and Raymond, an unmarried young man, a daughter, Mrs. May GARBER of Sheridan, Ore., and Miss Bertha, living at home. William M. SYLVESTER was born in Franklin county, Maine, January 6, 1836, and at the time of his death, February 21, was 74 years, 1 month, and 15 days of age. He war married to Miss Maria COOK at Montfort, Wis., in June 1861. When he was 15 years of age his parents moved from Maine to Wisconsin where he resided until the death of his parents when he emigrated to Nebraska, settling near Aurora in 1878, from which place he removed to Sherman county in 1886. In 1894 he sold his Sherman county land and removed to Garden City, where he bought land near that place and engaged in gardening and fruit raising. Mr. SYLVESTER was a veteran of the Civil war and served two years, the later part of the war. In Company D, Fortysecond Wisconsin Infantry. He was a member of the G. A. R. and also of the Masonic order. He was well known by the early settlers of Sherman county, and was not only a respected but also a highly esteemed citizen. The funeral was held from the home Wednesday and burial made In the Garden City cemetery."

(17) Family History, Volume S(4), Sylvester, Daughters of the American Revolution library, Washington, DC., p. 3.

- "Civil War soldier"

(18) "Everybody Burned Cow Chips in Early Days" via Newspapers.com: The Garden City News; Garden City, Kansas; 01 May 1930, Thu; Page 2.

"If a homestead twelve miles from the Colorado line in Sherman county can be called 'Western Kansas,' and if the year 1886 can be called 'Pioneer Days,' possibly the following account can be included among those asked for by the 'Western Kansas Pioneer Society.' In June 1886, William Marion SYLVESTER, and wife, Maria SYLVESTER, arrived from Hamilton county, Nebraska, with their family, May, Frank, Bertha, Clifford and Raymond, and located on their homestead, the SE quarter of section 24, Twp. 8, Range 41, Sherman county, Kansas. It was a new, almost uninhabited country. White lumber for a barn was being hauled from Wallace, on the nearest railway, the SYLVESTERs lived In a tent and a shed. During a shower, two members of the family took refuge under the table, the only place in the shed where no rain fell. While the crop was being planted, the barn was the domicile for man and beast. Then autumn came, and a substantial concrete house was built. Many and varied were the experience of the homesteaders. A few came In 1883, but the great immigration was In 1886. Many came in covered wagons, some by stage from Oberlin, the end of the railway. One brought his earthly possessions in a small two wheeled cart drawn behind the wagon of a friend. Nearly all lived in dugouts and sod bouses, and all burned 'chips'. Indians and buffalo had long since departed, but herds of range cattle drifted in with every blizzard, and ate the farmer's scanty store of feed and endangered the life of anyone on foot. One neighbor who had no team, made his way after dark to borrow Frank's pony, with which to drive the cattle away. Another used the pony, to drive them away from bis oxen 'lariated' on the prairie. One man nearly lost his life when attacked by a straggler from the herd that had passed on. One compensation was the fresh beef that varied the monotonous diet of bread and lard gravy. SYLVESTER's was the only well in that vicinity for several years, and people came from miles around for water. Some carried it borne in buckets, some hauled it in barrels in their wagons or on sleds. While her husband was at work, one homesteader's wife hauled water on a sled with one horse. A box for baby to ride in was nailed fast in front of the barrel. The mother walked the two and one-half miles homeward. The first school in the community was a 'subscription school,' taught ably by a homesteader's daughter. After the district was organized, a sod school house was built in an adjoining district, the required number of pupils was obtained by counting three homesteader's wives who were of school age. Later followed the Sunday school and a sermon once a month by Reverend John CLINE, a homesteader. In 1894 after experiencing two good crop years, and six poor ones, Mr. and Mrs. SYLVESTER and the three younger children, located In Finney county, the land of promise, where three members of the family spent their remaining days, while the two members still carrying on are Raymond and Bertha, 1301 Joseph St., Garden City, Kansas."