From History of Walworth County Wisconsin, Vol. 1, by Albert Clayton Beckwith, 
publ. 1912 - Pages 706 - 707
 
CHARLES HIGH.  This well remembered pioneer and prominent citizen of Walworth 
county who is now numbered "with them that sleepeth," was a native of the state 
of New York, which has been the cradle of much of our western civilization and 
upon which the commonwealth of Wisconsin has largely drawn for its most 
enlightened, enterprising and progressive citizenship.  Early in life Mr. HIGH 
established those habits of industry and frugality which insured his success in 
later years.  Coming here when the country was wild and undeveloped, he secured 
raw land which, with the able assistance of his estimable life companion, he 
soon extended the area of cultivable land and in due course of time found 
himself upon the high road to prosperity with a fine farm in his possession and 
many of the comforts and conveniences of life surrounding him, in fact, he was 
one of the large land owners of the county and one of our most substantial and 
influential citizens for many years, and, having exemplary habits, and being 
public spirited, doing much for the permanent good of the locality, his name is 
eminently deserving of a conspicuous place in his country's history.
 
Charles HIGH was born in Herkimer county, New York, May 10, 1810.  He grew to 
manhood in his native state and received such educational training as the early 
times afforded.  He emigrated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in an early period and 
there he and William DOUGHTON built the first saw-mill.  He was a millwright by 
trade, which he learned when a young man in New York.  He became very 
successfully established in business in Milwaukee and while living there he was 
united in marriage with Nancy Bartlett ROLFE, a native of Manchester, New 
Hampshire, born there on September 9, 1818.  She was descended from John ROLFE, 
who married the celebrated Pocahontas, the Indian maid, in the early days of 
Virginia, told of in colonial history.
 
In 1841 Charles HIGH came to Walworth county and here he entered land in 
Bloomfield township, section 20, and lived there a number of years.  He was 
very successful as a general farmer and an extensive dealer in live stock.  He 
made one shipment of fat cattle, aggregating ten thousand dollars.  He had put 
these cattle in the stable and fed them all winter.  He was one of the largest 
stock men of his day in this part of the state and no small amount of his 
fortune was obtained in this manner.  By close application, the exercise of 
sound judgment and honest dealings with his fellow men, he prospered with the 
increasing years and became the owner of thirteen hundred acres of valuable 
land.
 
Mr. HIGH was twice married.  Four children were born of the first union, one of 
whom died in infancy; the other three were, Eugenia Christina, now Mrs. William 
K. SLADE, of Canton, South Dakota; Anna Mary, wife of Albert PIERCE, of Hudson, 
South Dakota; Martha Alice, who married Robert WHITING, now living on the old 
homestead.
 
The mother of these children passed away on March 17, 1872 at the age of fifty-
three years, and Charles HIGH was subsequently married to Margaret GROESBECK, 
from near Alden, Illinois.
 
Charles HIGH built a new home, large and attractive, just east of his first 
home and there he spent the rest of his life, dying there on February 8, 1877, 
at the advanced age of seventy-seven years, after a useful, industrious and 
well spent life, a life which resulted in much good to the community, in fact 
to all with whom he came into contact.

Submitted By:  Carol
(carolann612@charter.net)