Henry N. Algard was born on February 20, 1832, in Cayuga County, New York. His parents, Joseph and Eliza (Reemer) Algard, were both from of Pennsylvania. In 1844, when Henry was 12, the family settled in Waukesha County, Wisconsin and then in the fall of 1846 in Oregon. The family began on government land in the openings. Pioneer families in southern Wisconsin frequently settled on federal government land located in “the openings”—areas of oak savanna interspersed with prairies and marshes. This term described lightly wooded transitional zones that were easier to clear for farming than dense, heavy forests. Federal government land openings in Wisconsin were created through systematic federal surveys, treaties or conflicts displacing native tribes, and the establishment of local federal land offices. Between 1832 and 1866, the General Land Office mapped the territory to sell or distribute public domain land.
On September 22, 1857, Henry married Miss Phoebe Smith. They were members of the Free Baptist Church and Henry was a Republican. Henry served many terms as one of the supervisors of Oregon. He bred Durham grade cattle, merino sheep, and was a partner in the county store with O.S. Shepard. In addition to farming, Henry was also a blacksmith, serving as the blacksmith of Storytown from 1865-1867. Storytown, was small historic unincorporated community and modern rural road located in the Town of Oregon in Dane County, just southwest of the village of Oregon. The 1870 Census only lists Henry and Phoebe, with no children.
Henry’s mother, Eliza died in 1875 and his father married again before moving on to Coldwater, Michigan where he died in June, 1877.
Henry was able to purchase some 202 acres, build a good barn, and handsome farmhouse. The Algard house, build around 1890, is located at 145 W. Lincoln and is on the historic register of places. St. Mr. Algard built and owned the home until his death in 1911.
For more information on the Algard house, go to The Algard House C. 1890
Sources referenced:
- 1880 History of Dane County, Wisconsin, p. 1233 accessible at https://archive.org/details/cu31924028871445
- https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/SurveyNotes/
- https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/record/property/HI5698/redirect