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| Partial 1877 Map of Somers Township. Two Edward Birch parcels: one along shore of Lake Michigan and one on Birch Road |
The Birch Family
A substantial amount of information on the Birch family is available on my Oakwood Cemetery, Somers, Wisconsin web site.
Click here for additional information on the Birch family.
Birch Photos
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| The Birch Homestead located west of Bose Elementary School in Kenosha near Birch Road Standing: Frank Birch Click on image for larger view. (Source: Original photo courtesy of Jim and Sharon Bose Smith. Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved.) |
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| The Birch Homestead Farm West of Bose Elementary School North of Birch Road Click on image for larger view. (Source: Original photo courtesy of Jim and Sharon Bose Smith. Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved.) |
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| Inscription on Photo: "Part of old homestead is an Indian building. House was built around that. Was told that this picture was taken on the spot that is the Birch farm before Birch's bought the property." Click on image before larger view. (Source: Original photo courtesy of Jim and Sharon Bose Smith. Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved.) Edward Birch Biography He was a farmer in Section 19. Born in England in 1822. Came to America in 1844. Stopped in Canada West. In 1867 he came to Kenosha locating on a farm and has followed farming up to the present time. He is a member of the M.E. Church, has held the office of Road Commissioner four or five years. He married in Canada, in 1855, Miss Jane Thompson, a native of England, they have had eleven children, ten of whom are still living. He is the owner of 162-1/2 acres of land. (Source: History of Racine and Kenosha Counties, 1879 published) |
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| Grower's Order for Labor dated February 14, 1912 W. Birch and Rock County Sugar Company of Janesville, Wisconsin Sugar Beet Crop Click on image for larger view. (Source: Original document courtesy of Jim and Sharon Bose Smith. Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved.) |
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| Rock County Sugar Company's Contract for Sugar Beets February 14, 1912 Wm. Birch, Jr. and Rock County Sugar Co. Click on image for larger view. (Source: Original document courtesy of Jim and Sharon Bose Smith. Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved.) |
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| Remarks on the back of the Rock County Sugar Company's Contract for Sugar Beets dated February 14, 1912 between Wm. Birch, Jr. and the Rock County Sugar Co. Click on image for larger view. (Source: Original document courtesy of Jim and Sharon Bose Smith. Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved.) |
Edward Birch, age 45
Jane Birch, age 27
Harriet Birch, age 15
William Birch, age13
Alice birch, age 11
Mary Jane Birch, age 9
Albert E. Birch, age 7
Electra Birch, age 5
Eliza Birch, age 3
Josephine Birch, 1
1880 U.S. Federal Census: Edward Birch/Home in Somers Township
Two additional children of Edward and Jane Birch in addition to the ones listed above:
Fannie Birch, born about 1874
Edward Birch, born about 1877
1900 U.S. Federal Census William Birch (son of Edward and Jane) /Home in Somers Township
William Birch, age 41
Minnie Birch, age 38
Paulina Birch, age 16
William Birch, Jr., age 12
Christie (Christopher) Birch, age 10 (note: married Ottila "Tillie" and had two daughters: Evelyn and Violet)
Frank E. Birch, 8 months
Wreck of the Courtright
November 7, 1871 the Courtright became waterlogged. The ship was driven ashore 1.5 miles north of
During a severe storm on
The morning after the storm, Mr. Birch went to look at the
beach as was his custom after severe storms, and he found the sail vessel with
its load of lumber piled twenty feet high on the beach and twisted in every
shape. The captain and his crew came
ashore in a yawl.
For the next two weeks, Captain Durgon and the first mate,
William Tibbetts, lived at the Edward Birch home and they engaged the help of
the farmers in the neighborhood and many men from the city to help save what
lumber they could.
They built slides and bound the boards together, then pulled
them up on land with horses. The broken
lumber was given to Edward Birch and he built many rods of fencing with
it. Considerable flour was also saved
and distributed among the settlers in the neighborhood.
Captain Durgon went out in his yawl and brought in the
compass and other things of value before the vessel went to pieces. Among the things he saved from the cabin was
a potato smasher which he gave to Mrs. Birch.
A relic she kept for many years.
(Source: “My Memoirs”
by Minnie A. G. Ozanne, pages 67 & 68 “Wreck of the Courtright.)
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