From History of Walworth County Wisconsin by Albert Clayton Beckwith, Vol. II, 
publ. 1912, Page 1376-1379
 
CARLOS LAVELETTE DOUGLASS.  The most enduring monument which can be erected to 
the memory of loved ones is not made of marble or granite, for time, alas! 
crumbles these away; and precious as are the cherished memories in the hearts 
of friends, within a few years these associations will be sleeping in the 
silent churchyard.  Naught endures save the written record, the page glowing 
with the chronicles of the noble life and kindly deeds, these alone hand down 
to the generations of the future the history of the past, of the hardy 
pioneers whose brave patriotism and undaunted hearts paved the way to 
posterity and civilization.
 
One of this sterling band of a past generation in Walworth county, was the 
late Carlos Lavalette DOUGLASS, an early settler of the town of Walworth, who 
contributed much to its subsequent development.  He was born in Cattaraugus 
county, New York, November 1, 1827.  He was the son of Christopher and Phoebe 
(DOUGLASS) DOUGLASS.  The father was born February 22, 1787, at New London, 
Connecticut, and the mother was born at Chelsea, Vermont, February 28, 1787.  
Their ancestry has been traced in unbroken line to William and Ann (MATTLES) 
DOUGLASS, who came form the north of England, both born in the year 1610, and 
were the first of the family to come to America.  Their first child was born 
in 1637, probably in New England, for it is known that they came to New 
London, Connecticut.  One of their sons, Robert, had a son, Thomas, whose son, 
Robert, was the father of Capt. Daniel DOUGLASS.  The latter was born in 1752 
and it is probable that he was with the New York troops in the Revolutionary 
war, but he may have been in the Vermont troops.  Captain DOUGLASS married 
Lydia DOUGLASS, who, like her husband, was in the fourth generation of descent 
from the original William DOUGLASS that came to this country from England.  
Lydia was the daughter of William, whose father was Richard, the son of 
William, of the second generation, who was the son of William, the emigrant 
from England.  Capt. Daniel DOUGLASS' son, Christopher, who headed the family 
in Walworth county, Wisconsin, married Phoebe DOUGLASS, daughter of Ivory, 
whose father, William, was a brother to the Lydia that was the wife of Capt. 
Daniel DOUGLASS, and he was therefore a son of William, descended from the 
emigrant.  Therefore Carlos Lavalette DOUGLASS was descended in three ways 
from William, the emigrant.  Christopher DOUGLASS, father of the subject of 
this memoir, was born in New London, Connecticut, February 22, 1787, and when 
a young man he moved with his parents to Vermont and was reared on a farm.  He 
obtained a common school education and returned to Connecticut, where he 
taught school, and while there he was united in marriage with Phoebe 
DOUGLASS.  They afterwards moved to New York.  Later he was a soldier in the 
war of 1812, then settled on a farm near Buffalo, then an almost unbroken 
wilderness.  In the midst of the forest he cleared his land and developed a 
rich farm.  His nearest neighbor was twenty miles away.  In 1828 he moved to 
Macomb county, Michigan, and in the spring of 1837 he sold his farm in 
Michigan and for about six months rented land near Chicago.  Leaving his 
family there, he came to Walworth county, Wisconsin, and began breaking land 
and preparing for a home to which he brought his family in the fall of that 
year.  Christopher DOUGLASS broke a vast among of wild prairie land in 
Walworth county in 1837 when they plowed furrows two and one half miles long 
on Big Foot Prairie.  He entered a farm in section 28, which he sold, later 
settling on another which he purchased at a land sale.  Here he farmed and in 
1842 established a tavern at what was soon to be known all over this part of 
the country as DOUGLASS' Corners, now called Walworth.  In 1857 he sold a part 
of his farm and bought land at the head of Lake Geneva where Fontana is now 
located.  In 1839 Christopher DOUGLASS was one of three county commissioners 
and he continued in that capacity nearly four years and served as chairman of 
the board.  He was one of the first judges of election in 1839 and was on the 
first grand jury in this county.  He was a leader in local affairs and one of 
the best known and influential of the pioneers.  His death occurred in 1866, 
at the age of eighty years, the community losing one of its best citizens at 
that time.  His wife died at Fontana at the age of seventy-four years.  Their 
family consisted of ten children, of whom Carlos Lavelette, of this sketch, 
was the ninth in order of birth.
 
The subject of this sketch was ten years old when the family moved to Walworth 
county, thus he grew to manhood under pioneer conditions.  His early 
experiences developed qualities of leadership, and in 1846 at the age of 
nineteen, he was overseer of a gang of men in the copper mines of Superior, 
spending about eighteen months there.  He then returned to Walworth county and 
took charge of the farm and business matters for his parents until they died.  
In 1855 he drove a herd of beef cattle from Walworth county to Houghton, 
Michigan, through an unbroken wilderness, inhabited only by Indians and wild 
animals.  The following year he took another drove to the same place, crossing 
the lake on sail boats.  He built what was known as the old DOUGLASS homestead 
at the head of Lake Geneva in 1857, and, in company with his father and one 
brother, built the DOUGLASS gist mill and a saw mill which became celebrated 
throughout all this region.  Everybody for many miles around were permanent 
patrons of the mill until the great flour mills of the present time became 
overpowering competitors.  He and his son repaired and greatly improved his 
mill in 1881, introducing the latest and most approved machinery known at that 
time.  They operated this mill until about 1893.  Besides milling, he engaged 
in farming and stock raising, which he followed successfully all his life.  He 
owned an excellent farm of three hundred and sixty acres.  He was one of the 
substantial men of this part of the county.
 
Carlos L. DOUGLASS was deeply interested in public affairs and he was a member 
of the county board of supervisors and for many years was treasurer of the 
town board.  In 1873 he was elected to the Assembly, in which he made a most 
commendable record.  He was also deeply interested in the schools of the 
community and was a leader in local affairs for many years.
 
Mr. DOUGLASS was married on August 29, 1849, to Margaret ST
EWART, daughter of Arthur and Jessie (SIMPSON) STEWART, early settlers of Rock 
county, this state.  To this union four children were born, namely: Ruth 
Warren, who married James R. DAVIS, died when twenty-five years of age; Carlos 
Stewart, born August 1, 1854, lives at Fontana; Horace Greeley, born November 
12, 1857, lives at Lake Geneva; Lewis Christopher, born September 22, 1859 
lives at Boise, Idaho.
 
Mr. DOUGLASS was a man of courage, enterprise and energy.  In 1855 he 
accompanied a party who drove a large herd of  cattle across the country to 
Lake Superior.  Before reaching their destination their food supply was 
exhausted and as there was no settlement along the trail Mr. DOUGLASS made his 
way to Ontonagon to get supplies, journeying two days and two nights, sleeping 
in the open air.  The matches he carried got damp and he could not even make a 
fire.  He went through all the experiences and hardships incident to pioneer 
life, later experienced the advantages of civilization, and acquired a 
handsome property, all through his individual efforts.  He owned a beautiful 
home on Lake Geneva.  The death of this excellent citizen occurred on January 
6, 1898, at the age of seventy-two years.  He was very widely known and held 
in the highest esteem by all for his life was exemplary and resulted in much 
good to the community in general.  He was kind obliging, hospitable and broad 
in his sympathies, and he did not hold malice toward anyone.  He was a good 
citizen and faithful to every trust reposed in him.  His wife was a woman of 
noble attributes, a fit companion of a half century to him, and his success 
was due in no small manner to her encouragement and sympathy.  Her death 
occurred on November 6, 1901, at the age of seventy-three years.  She was a 
native of county Cavan, in the ancient kingdom of Tilster.
 
Submitted by Carol