Person:Leander Ferguson (1)

C. W. FERGUSON & BRO., merchants, Brandon; the brothers are natives ofNew York, and came West in 1855; C. W. began mercantile life clerking forJ. H. Foster in his general store, which was established during the earlyhistory of Brandon; in 1860, he started in business with his father,under the firm name of C. W. Ferguson and Co.; in 1876, his brotherLeander purchased the father's interest, and the firm became "C. W.Ferguson & Bro." In 1866, Leander was married to Miss Hattie Foster, ofBrandon. C. W. Ferguson, in 1871, married Miss Eliza Thayer, also ofBrandon. Leander is Superintendent of the Methodist Sunday School; he wasfully three years in the army, and at the close of the War was aLieutenant in Co. B. of the 46th W. V. I. The senior member of the firmconducts an insurance agency, and, in Waukesha Co., held several localoffices before removal to Fond du Lac Co. The firm carry stock in alldepartments of a first-class country store; they are enterprising youngmen, and enjoy the confidence of the public. (The History of Fond du LacCounty, Wisconsin, Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1880)

G. A. R. BEN SHELDON POST NO. 136 Brandon, Wisconsin

Following the end of the Civil War in 1865, veterans across the countryorganized themselves into G. A R. posts to keep the memory of theirservice alive. The first Post chartered anywhere in the country was PostCassius Fairchild, No. 1, organized in Madison on June 10, 1866.

Brandon's Ben S. Sheldon Post, No. 136, was chartered on March 7, 1884.In 1926 following the death of the Post's last member, John G. Dunning,the Brandon Times reported the names of the Post's 24 charter members and34 later members:

Charter Members: M. C. Short, Chas. Herman, Aug. Middlestaedt, George W. Gee, L. FERGUSON,Asa Holmes, James Connor, Ed. Stickles, A. E. Austin, A. M. Bly, J. E.Gee, H. Giffy [Giffey], Jac. Carter, Robt. G. Eaton, J. G. Dunning, Robt.Williams, James E. Reilly, James Patterson, Adrian Daane, Geo. W. Rogers,Chas. Riemer, James E. Thompson, F. Ausman, and S. S. Spaulding.

Additional Members: W. Auglum, W. R. Brown, Ed. F. Briggs, Francis A. Bush, John Batise,Chas. C. Birum, L. F. Blanchard, Ct. Carpenter, Mason Cheesebro, JohnCole, Chas. Marshall. Louis Draves, John Dumas, Z. Ellis, William Heron,Chas. Jaquins, Joseph Kimble, Aug. Laubee, Frank Munn, Canfield Marsh, E.Merry, Wm. Marsh, James C. O. Neil, R. T. O'Connor, E. W. Pride, FrankPaddock, E. W. Robinson, R. B. Shannon, James Turner, and HenryVanhouton. Geo. W. Pratt, A. O. D. Kelly, Ben. Connor, and Marshall Chase.

For more than 50 years following the end of the war, the WisconsinDepartment of the G. A. R. maintained records of the Posts representedduring the annual Wisconsin encampments. Among the records recording theparticipation of the Sheldon Post are the following:

Fortieth Annual Encampment, 1906: Commander--A. O. D. Kelley Representative--L. P. Blanchard Alternate--H. Giffey Past Commanders--L. FERGUSON, Wm. G. Marshall, A. E. Austin, R. B.Shannon, A. O. D. Kelley

Fifty-First Annual Encampment, 1917: Commander--Herman Giffey Representative--L. P. Blanchard Alternate--Robert Williams Past Post Commanders--LEANDER FERGUSON, William G. Marshall

Fifty-Seventh Annual Encampment, 1923: (5 members) Commander--William G. Marshall Senior Vice Commander--Herman Giffey Representative--H. Giffey Alternate--J. G. Dunning Past Post Commanders--LEANDER FERGUSON, Herman Giffey, William G. Marshall

Fifty-Ninth Annual Encampment, 1925: (4 members) Commander--W. G. Marshall Adjutant--J. G. Dunning Representative--H. A. Giffey

1. ↑ David A. Blocher - [email protected].
2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Cemetery Records.
3. ↑ 1870 U.S. Census, Wisconsin, Waukesha County, Lisbon, M593 1743, Page 237A.
4. ↑ Town of Metomen, Brandon Special Census, 1877, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin.
5. ↑ 1880 U.S. Census, Wisconsin, Fond du Lac County, Brandon, T9 1426, Page 374A.
6. ↑ 1900 U.S. Census, Wisconsin, Fond du Lac County, Brandon, T623 1789, Book 1, Page 97A.
7. ↑ 1920 U.S. Census, Wisconsin, Fond du Lac County, Brandon, T625 1981.
8.   1850 U.S. Census.

   New York, Delaware County, Middletown, M432_495, Page 434.

9.   1900 U.S. Census.

   Wisconsin, Fond du Lac County, Brandon, T623_1789, Book 1, Page 97A.

10.   1870 U.S. Census.

    Wisconsin, Waukesha County, Lisbon, M593_1743, Page 237A.

11.   1880 U.S. Census.

    Wisconsin, Fond du Lac County, Brandon, T9_1426, Page 374A.

12.   Ancestry World Tree.