Third Mayor of Merrill, Lincoln County, Wisconsin.
Thomas Mathews was born on December 6, 1825 in New York, to Michael and Mary Mathews. His father died when Thomas was 6 years old so his mother moved the family to St. Lawrence County, NY. Thomas was educated in the local schools there and worked at clearing land and cutting cord wood. At age 22 he was clerk of the school district.
In 1854, at age 29, Thomas came west to Wisconsin, settling first in Ripon, but by 1856 he was in Wausau. He married Martha Greene in 1859 and in 1861 they moved to a farm on Lake Pesobic, near Jenny (now Merrill). Their marriage was blessed with eight children. Mr. Mathews worked as a logger and a lumberman, in addition to his farming.
Mr. Mathews was the prime mover in the quest to have the Wisconsin Legislature act on a petition to separate Jenny from Marathon County. Due to the persistence of Mr. Mathews, passage was finally secured on March 31, 1874 which set all of the area north of Marathon County as the new County of Lincoln. Mr. Mathews immediately became known as "The Father of Lincoln County."
Thomas Mathews was elected the first Lincoln County Treasurer, a position he held from 1874-1880. He also represented the Third Ward on the first Merrill City Council, representing the same ward on the Lincoln County Board. In 1886, he became the third mayor of Merrill.
Thomas Mathews died at age 62 on December 30, 1887. He is buried in Merrill Memorial Park Cemetery in Merrill, WI. No one can explain why his tombstone shows his date of death as 1888.
Thomas Mathews was born on December 6, 1825 in New York, to Michael and Mary Mathews. His father died when Thomas was 6 years old so his mother moved the family to St. Lawrence County, NY. Thomas was educated in the local schools there and worked at clearing land and cutting cord wood. At age 22 he was clerk of the school district.
In 1854, at age 29, Thomas came west to Wisconsin, settling first in Ripon, but by 1856 he was in Wausau. He married Martha Greene in 1859 and in 1861 they moved to a farm on Lake Pesobic, near Jenny (now Merrill). Their marriage was blessed with eight children. Mr. Mathews worked as a logger and a lumberman, in addition to his farming.
Mr. Mathews was the prime mover in the quest to have the Wisconsin Legislature act on a petition to separate Jenny from Marathon County. Due to the persistence of Mr. Mathews, passage was finally secured on March 31, 1874 which set all of the area north of Marathon County as the new County of Lincoln. Mr. Mathews immediately became known as "The Father of Lincoln County."
Thomas Mathews was elected the first Lincoln County Treasurer, a position he held from 1874-1880. He also represented the Third Ward on the first Merrill City Council, representing the same ward on the Lincoln County Board. In 1886, he became the third mayor of Merrill.
Thomas Mathews died at age 62 on December 30, 1887. He is buried in Merrill Memorial Park Cemetery in Merrill, WI. No one can explain why his tombstone shows his date of death as 1888.
Third Mayor of Merrill, Lincoln County, Wisconsin.
Thomas Mathews was born on December 6, 1825 in New York, to Michael and Mary Mathews. His father died when Thomas was 6 years old so his mother moved the family to St. Lawrence County, NY. Thomas was educated in the local schools there and worked at clearing land and cutting cord wood. At age 22 he was clerk of the school district.
In 1854, at age 29, Thomas came west to Wisconsin, settling first in Ripon, but by 1856 he was in Wausau. He married Martha Greene in 1859 and in 1861 they moved to a farm on Lake Pesobic, near Jenny (now Merrill). Their marriage was blessed with eight children. Mr. Mathews worked as a logger and a lumberman, in addition to his farming.
Mr. Mathews was the prime mover in the quest to have the Wisconsin Legislature act on a petition to separate Jenny from Marathon County. Due to the persistence of Mr. Mathews, passage was finally secured on March 31, 1874 which set all of the area north of Marathon County as the new County of Lincoln. Mr. Mathews immediately became known as "The Father of Lincoln County."
Thomas Mathews was elected the first Lincoln County Treasurer, a position he held from 1874-1880. He also represented the Third Ward on the first Merrill City Council, representing the same ward on the Lincoln County Board. In 1886, he became the third mayor of Merrill.
Thomas Mathews died at age 62 on December 30, 1887. He is buried in Merrill Memorial Park Cemetery in Merrill, WI. No one can explain why his tombstone shows his date of death as 1888.
Thomas Mathews was born on December 6, 1825 in New York, to Michael and Mary Mathews. His father died when Thomas was 6 years old so his mother moved the family to St. Lawrence County, NY. Thomas was educated in the local schools there and worked at clearing land and cutting cord wood. At age 22 he was clerk of the school district.
In 1854, at age 29, Thomas came west to Wisconsin, settling first in Ripon, but by 1856 he was in Wausau. He married Martha Greene in 1859 and in 1861 they moved to a farm on Lake Pesobic, near Jenny (now Merrill). Their marriage was blessed with eight children. Mr. Mathews worked as a logger and a lumberman, in addition to his farming.
Mr. Mathews was the prime mover in the quest to have the Wisconsin Legislature act on a petition to separate Jenny from Marathon County. Due to the persistence of Mr. Mathews, passage was finally secured on March 31, 1874 which set all of the area north of Marathon County as the new County of Lincoln. Mr. Mathews immediately became known as "The Father of Lincoln County."
Thomas Mathews was elected the first Lincoln County Treasurer, a position he held from 1874-1880. He also represented the Third Ward on the first Merrill City Council, representing the same ward on the Lincoln County Board. In 1886, he became the third mayor of Merrill.
Thomas Mathews died at age 62 on December 30, 1887. He is buried in Merrill Memorial Park Cemetery in Merrill, WI. No one can explain why his tombstone shows his date of death as 1888.
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