Joseph Marshall, a prominent man of Richland county, and the pioneer of the town of Marshall, which territory bears his name, was born in Columbiana Co., Ohio, March 25, 1820. His father was a large owner of timber land, and the subject of this sketch spent considerable of his time clearing portions of the same, while his brothers were employed in farming. He was married in April, 1851, to Margaret McCannon, a native of New Brunswick. The day following they started west to seek a home, embarked on a steamboat at Wellsville and came to Muscoda, and the next day started in company with Alexander Bartley to seek a desirable location, but the land in that vicinity did not suit him. The party showing him the country inquired what kind of land he wanted, to which Mr. Marshall replied, "I want land where there is plenty of wood and water." "Well" said the man, "we will have to go back into Richland county, where you can not clear a farm in a life time." This remark, intended to deter him from going thither, did not have that effect; he had cleared two farms, and freely understood all about it. So the following day, with Mr. Bartley, started on foot for the wilds of Richland county. They were informed that there were two men, Amasa Haskins and Jule Preston, living in the northern part of the county, engaged in bear hunting. Toward night they chanced to find a log cabin, roofed on one side only, and a place cut out for a door, the only evidence of an intended habitation. Mr. Marshall suggested that the night be spent at this place, but Mr. Bartley said "nobody lives here." "Then" said Mr. Marshall, "there will not be anyone to put us out," and they accordingly took peacable possession. A few minutes afterward, Mr. Preston, the owner, returned in company with his wife. The travelers asked if they could stop all night, and found they were welcome, and soon they were partaking of a supper of corn bread and venison, with an appetite and relish known only to tired and hungry men. This cabin was located on what is now section 29, town of Rockbridge. In the morning Mr. Preston started out to show them land, and Mr. Marshall selected the north half of section 13, town 11, range 1 west, and the same day returned to Muscoda. Not wishing to lose any time, the next day he purchased a cow, and the day then following hired a man with a team to transfer his goods, while he and his bride trudged along on foot, driving the cow; arriving at Mr. Preston's cabin they remained over night, and the following morning he took an ax and started for his land, but could not find it and returned. The next morning a man by the name of Meeks, who was stopping at Amasa Haskins, hitched up his horses, loaded up the goods and provisions, and accompanied by Mr. Preston, they started for the land. Arriving at Amasa Haskins, and, finding the team too heavily loaded for the condition of the roads or lack of roads, they left the goods in a fence corner, covered them with shakes, and proceeded on their way, cutting a road as they went, and finally reached their destination. Here a rude shelter of brush and poles was hastily constructed, and pioneer life commenced in earnest. Mr. Meeks fed his horses some corn brought along for the purpose, and what they did not fully clean up, was gathered by Mr. Marshall and used for seed. He immediately commenced clearing and chopped in the seed. He thus raised a small crop of corn, potatoes and garden vegetables. They continued to live in their improvised covering, if covering it could be called, until fall, then erected a log cabin with puncheon floor and shake roof. That same fall he went to Sextonville with George Hancock to purchase provisions, and on their way back discovered a pile of lumber on the site of the present village of Richland Center, which Ira Hazletine had left there to make good a claim to the land. At that time a few furrows ploughed were the only evidences of improvement. 
Mr. Marshall was soon after elected justice of the peace. Among the law cases in his court one is referred to as indicative of primitive methods of administering justice. German Tadder had shot George Hancock's dog and the latter thought he must be made to suffer the legal penalty, and came to 'Squire Marshall for advice and methods of redress, insisting that he was the proper officer and must advise him accordingly. Marshall was not much learned in law and tried to have him drop the matter, but all such attempts to dispose of the case proved unavailing, and he finally asked Hancock if he was able to handle this disturber of the peace; receiving an affirmative reply, he summed up the case and gave the following characteristic verdict: "Then give him a damn good licking the next time you get a good chance," which disposition of the case seemed satisfactory, and Hancock went away. A few weeks after Mr. Marshall had a barn raising and the people for miles around came together, among them were Tedder and Hancock, meeting here for the first time since the advice had been given; they there and then settled the matter with their fists, Hancock coming out victorious, and they were ever afterward good friends. In 1854 Mr. Marshall went to Galena with a load of goods for a family who we(re) removing back to Illinois. Edward Pinnock sent by him to get a barrel of whisky, and having purchased the same he started on his return. Night coming on he applied at the house of an Irishman for accommodations, but they positively refused to entertain him --- said they had nothing to eat and no place for him to sleep. Pleading was of no avail, he must go on. "Well," says Mr. Marshall, "have something to take with me," and he led the way to the wagon. he had already tapped the barrel and had a straw ready. The man and woman each mounted the wagon and took turns at the straw. It was then their hearts were softened and they asked him to spend the night, in fact, he was welcome as long as he had a mind to stop. Soon after this Mr. Marshall was called upon to marry a German who lived in the town of Forest, but refused to tie the knot, saying he did not know how. "yes, you must," says the Dutchman, "because you vas a shustice mit der beece." "No," says Marshall, "I never attended but one marriage in my life and that was my own." "Vell," replied the Dutchman, "Mr. Darnell has been married couple of times, you come mit us to him and he ell you all about it." So they took supper and started on a tramp of nine miles. The road led them by Pinnock's and Mr. Marshall suggested to the Dutchman that he take along some whisky. "Yaw, by shiminy, if I had a schug," says the Dutchman. They called at Pinnock's and Marshall borrowed a coffee pot, which the Dutchman had filled with whisky and they proceeded on their way, calling at Mr. Darnell's for instruction. The wedding did not occur until morning, when the couple were made happy by being pronounced husband and wife. Mr. Marshall was an industrious, hard working man, and spent but little time hunting. He cleared the greater part of his 320 acres of land, lived there a number of years, and then purchased another place on sections 13 and 14 where he erected a frame house, and lived in it until 1882, when he built another near by, which he now occupies. He has lived in Marshall continuously since his first settlement, except nine months spent in Colorado in 1860. Mrs. Marshall died in August, 1865, leaving five children --- Maria, Elizabeth, Lydia, Thomas and Josie. His second wife, to whom he was married in 1867, was Nettie Starrett; she was born in Washington Co., Vt. In February, 1865, he was drafted into the service, went to Madison, and performed guard duty until the close of the war. 
George L, son of James and Maria (Gillingham) Marshall, was born in Columbiana CoJoseph Marshall, a prominent man of Richland county, and the pioneer of the town of Marshall, which territory bears his name, was born in Columbiana Co., Ohio, March 25, 1820. His father was a large owner of timber land, and the subject of this sketch spent considerable of his time clearing portions of the same, while his brothers were employed in farming. He was married in April, 1851, to Margaret McCannon, a native of New Brunswick. The day following they started west to seek a home, embarked on a steamboat at Wellsville and came to Muscoda, and the next day started in company with Alexander Bartley to seek a desirable location, but the land in that vicinity did not suit him. The party showing him the country inquired what kind of land he wanted, to which Mr. Marshall replied, "I want land where there is plenty of wood and water." "Well" said the man, "we will have to go back into Richland county, where you can not clear a farm in a life time." This remark, intended to deter him from going thither, did not have that effect; he had cleared two farms, and freely understood all about it. So the following day, with Mr. Bartley, started on foot for the wilds of Richland county. They were informed that there were two men, Amasa Haskins and Jule Preston, living in the northern part of the county, engaged in bear hunting. Toward night they chanced to find a log cabin, roofed on one side only, and a place cut out for a door, the only evidence of an intended habitation. Mr. Marshall suggested that the night be spent at this place, but Mr. Bartley said "nobody lives here." "Then" said Mr. Marshall, "there will not be anyone to put us out," and they accordingly took peacable possession. A few minutes afterward, Mr. Preston, the owner, returned in company with his wife. The travelers asked if they could stop all night, and found they were welcome, and soon they were partaking of a supper of corn bread and venison, with an appetite and relish known only to tired and hungry men. This cabin was located on what is now section 29, town of Rockbridge. In the morning Mr. Preston started out to show them land, and Mr. Marshall selected the north half of section 13, town 11, range 1 west, and the same day returned to Muscoda. Not wishing to lose any time, the next day he purchased a cow, and the day then following hired a man with a team to transfer his goods, while he and his bride trudged along on foot, driving the cow; arriving at Mr. Preston's cabin they remained over night, and the following morning he took an ax and started for his land, but could not find it and returned. The next morning a man by the name of Meeks, who was stopping at Amasa Haskins, hitched up his horses, loaded up the goods and provisions, and accompanied by Mr. Preston, they started for the land. Arriving at Amasa Haskins, and, finding the team too heavily loaded for the condition of the roads or lack of roads, they left the goods in a fence corner, covered them with shakes, and proceeded on their way, cutting a road as they went, and finally reached their destination. Here a rude shelter of brush and poles was hastily constructed, and pioneer life commenced in earnest. Mr. Meeks fed his horses some corn brought along for the purpose, and what they did not fully clean up, was gathered by Mr. Marshall and used for seed. He immediately commenced clearing and chopped in the seed. He thus raised a small crop of corn, potatoes and garden vegetables. They continued to live in their improvised covering, if covering it could be called, until fall, then erected a log cabin with puncheon floor and shake roof. That same fall he went to Sextonville with George Hancock to purchase provisions, and on their way back discovered a pile of lumber on the site of the present village of Richland Center, which Ira Hazletine had left there to make good a claim to the land. At that time a few furrows ploughed were the only evidences of improvement. 
Mr. Marshall was soon after elected justice of the peace. Among the law cases in his court one is referred to as indicative of primitive methods of administering justice. German Tadder had shot George Hancock's dog and the latter thought he must be made to suffer the legal penalty, and came to 'Squire Marshall for advice and methods of redress, insisting that he was the proper officer and must advise him accordingly. Marshall was not much learned in law and tried to have him drop the matter, but all such attempts to dispose of the case proved unavailing, and he finally asked Hancock if he was able to handle this disturber of the peace; receiving an affirmative reply, he summed up the case and gave the following characteristic verdict: "Then give him a damn good licking the next time you get a good chance," which disposition of the case seemed satisfactory, and Hancock went away. A few weeks after Mr. Marshall had a barn raising and the people for miles around came together, among them were Tedder and Hancock, meeting here for the first time since the advice had been given; they there and then settled the matter with their fists, Hancock coming out victorious, and they were ever afterward good friends. In 1854 Mr. Marshall went to Galena with a load of goods for a family who we(re) removing back to Illinois. Edward Pinnock sent by him to get a barrel of whisky, and having purchased the same he started on his return. Night coming on he applied at the house of an Irishman for accommodations, but they positively refused to entertain him --- said they had nothing to eat and no place for him to sleep. Pleading was of no avail, he must go on. "Well," says Mr. Marshall, "have something to take with me," and he led the way to the wagon. he had already tapped the barrel and had a straw ready. The man and woman each mounted the wagon and took turns at the straw. It was then their hearts were softened and they asked him to spend the night, in fact, he was welcome as long as he had a mind to stop. Soon after this Mr. Marshall was called upon to marry a German who lived in the town of Forest, but refused to tie the knot, saying he did not know how. "yes, you must," says the Dutchman, "because you vas a shustice mit der beece." "No," says Marshall, "I never attended but one marriage in my life and that was my own." "Vell," replied the Dutchman, "Mr. Darnell has been married couple of times, you come mit us to him and he ell you all about it." So they took supper and started on a tramp of nine miles. The road led them by Pinnock's and Mr. Marshall suggested to the Dutchman that he take along some whisky. "Yaw, by shiminy, if I had a schug," says the Dutchman. They called at Pinnock's and Marshall borrowed a coffee pot, which the Dutchman had filled with whisky and they proceeded on their way, calling at Mr. Darnell's for instruction. The wedding did not occur until morning, when the couple were made happy by being pronounced husband and wife. Mr. Marshall was an industrious, hard working man, and spent but little time hunting. He cleared the greater part of his 320 acres of land, lived there a number of years, and then purchased another place on sections 13 and 14 where he erected a frame house, and lived in it until 1882, when he built another near by, which he now occupies. He has lived in Marshall continuously since his first settlement, except nine months spent in Colorado in 1860. Mrs. Marshall died in August, 1865, leaving five children --- Maria, Elizabeth, Lydia, Thomas and Josie. His second wife, to whom he was married in 1867, was Nettie Starrett; she was born in Washington Co., Vt. In February, 1865, he was drafted into the service, went to Madison, and performed guard duty until the close of the war. 
George L, son of James and Maria (Gillingham) Marshall, was born in Columbiana Co., Ohio, Oct. 28, 1839. At the age of thirteen, he came to Richland county with his mother and settled in town 11, range 1 west, now known as Marshall. Three years later, his mother died, and the home circle was broken. He continued to live in the neighborhood, and was employed in farming summers, and attending school, winters. In May, 1861, at the first call for "three years" men, he responded by enlisting in company H, of the 5th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and with the regiment, joined the Army of the Potomac, serving until August, 1864, when he was honorably discharged. He took part in the following engagements: Williamsburg, seven days before Richmond, Chancelorsville, Gettysburg, Rappahannock Station, Fredricksburg, battle of the Wilderness and before Petersburg. When discharged he returned to Marshall and resumed farming. He was joined in marriage in 1865 with Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel and Margaret (Dreghorn) Noble, and settled upon the homestead on section 4. Mrs. Marshall died in 1869, leaving one child --- Allen. In 1874 he was again married to Harriet, daughter of Martin and Elizabeth Copenhefer. They have two children --- Clara and Ella