Census: 1880 Milton, Rock Co., Wisconsin: age 61

Admitted abt 1836, Alfred, New York

"The Sabbath Recorder", Vol 57, No 12, p 190, Mar. 25, 1901.
Mrs. Olive Hall Pierce, wife of James Pierce, was born in Alfred, N. Y., August 7, 1818, and died in Milton, Wis., March 7, 1901.
Sister Pierce became a believer in Christ in early life and a member of the First Alfred Seventh-day Baptist church. In 1839, with her parents, she removed to Wisconsin, and in the following winter taught the first school in this part of the country. September 24, 1840, she was married to James Pierce, and when the Milton Seventh-day Baptist church was organized, they became constituent members. They were living at Rock River when that church was organized, and were among the constituent members of that church; and after the Milton Junction church was formed they united there, where she remained faithful unto death. Her life has been long and full of good works, duty has been cheerfully performed, and now, "as a shock of corn fully ripe," she has been gathered into the garner of the Lord. "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them." G. J. C.

"The Weekly Telephone", Milton Junction, Wisconsin, Thursday, Mar. 7, 1901, p 1.
Mrs. James Pierce, who suffered a stroke of paralysis last Friday, died at an early hour this morning.
Mrs. Pierce was 81 years old. She has been a resident of Wisconsin for more than 60 years and was the first school teacher in the town of Milton.
The funeral will be held at the S. D. B. church, Milton Junction, on Sunday, at 11 o'clock, and the interment will be at Rock River.

Constituent member of the Rock River SDB Church in 1856.

Census: 1880 Milton, Rock Co., Wisconsin: age 62, farmer

Admitted abt 1832 - Alfred, New York
to Wisconsin 1838, dismissed Mar 1842

In 1873 the Milton Township map shows a James Pierce farm in Section 7 extending from the southern section line northward, across Rock River Road, to the southern shore of the Rock River.

Constituent member of the Rock River SDB Church in 1856.

"History of Rock County, Wisconsin", 1879, p 826.
JAMES PIERCE, farmer, Section 7; P.O. Milton Junction; born in Alfred, Allegany Co., N.Y., Dec. 26, 1817; son of Samuel and Susan PIERCE; his father, Samuel S. PIERCE, died April 2, 1878; is buried at Rock River Cemetery; his mother, Susan PIERCE, is still living, 87 years old; James P. came to Wisconsin July 15, 1838, and settled in Rock Co.; his first purchase was eighty acres from the Government on Section 3 of Harmony. Married, Sept. 24, 1840, Olive HALL, daughter of Gardiner and Mary HALL; had three children - Clarke R., born Sept. 9, 1841; Alonzo D., born Feb. 12, 1846; died March 13, 1847; Susan M., born Dec. 6, 1849, died Dec. 4, 1863; his homestead on Sec. 7 consists of 130 acres. Mr. PIERCE was Deputy County Surveyor from 1841 to 1844; Assessor in 1847 and 1848; Commissioner of Highways in 1848-49; Justice of the Peace, 1851-55; Chairman of the Board of Supervisors in 1856; Justice of the Peace, 1857-63, and Chairman of the Board of Supervisors in 1864; Justice of the Peace in 1866-67; County Supervisor of Second District from 1866 to 1868; Chairman of the Board of Supervisors and Justice of the Peace in 1869-70. Is a Seventh Day Baptist, and Republican.

"Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin", 1901, p 143-144.
JAMES PIERCE is one of the oldest and best-known pioneers of Milton township, Rock County. In 1838, before he had attained his majority, he left his home in New York State for the wild and undeveloped West. Coming by boat to Milwaukee, he soon became identified with the settlement of the Rock River Valley.
Mr. PIERCE was born in Alfred township, Allegany Co., N.Y., Dec. 26, 1817, son of Samuel and Susan (WHITE) PIERCE, both natives of Rhode Island. Of their five children, four sons and one daughter, two survive; William, of Danbury, Iowa; and James, our subject. The father in 1851 followed his son West, and located in the southwestern part of Milton township, Rock County, where he died in 1865. His wife survived many years, spending her later years at her old home in New York State, and living to the age of ninety-four. Both were members of the Seventh-day Baptist Church. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Daniel PIERCE, also lived to a ripe old age, having almost attained his ninetieth birthday at the time of his death. He removed with his family from Rhode Island, his native State, to Alfred, Allegany Co., N.Y., about 1817. The maternal grandfather of our subject was a sea-faring man of Rhode Island.
James PIERCE was reared on his father's farm in New York State, and in his youth attended the district schools. Possessing the pioneer spirit, he landed in Milwaukee July 11, 1838, and at once started for the Rock River Valley. The first halt he made was at Du Lac Prairie. He began work for Joseph GOODRICH in Milton township, Rock County, as farmhand and clerk in a store, and two years later, upon his marriage, began life for himself.
On Sept. 24, 1840, Mr. PIERCE married Miss Olive HALL, daughter of Gardner and Nancy (STILLMAN) HALL, and to them three children have been born: Clark R., who married Rachel B. BUTTS, and lives at Edgerton, Wis.; Alonzo D., who died, aged thirteen months; and Susan M., who died at the age of fourteen years. Mr. and Mrs. PIERCE are prominent members of the Seventh-day Baptist Church, and for many years he has been chairman and treasurer of the Seventh-day Baptist Church at Milton Junction.
In Territorial days Mr. PIERCE served as deputy county surveyor under John HOPKINS of Beloit. He has been assessor of the township, overseer of highways, and for many years supervisor, and discharged the duties of justice of the peace for a period of twenty-two years. In politics Mr. PIERCE is a Republican.

"The Milton Journal", Milton, Wisconsin, Thursday, Jan. 26, 1905, p 1.
James Pierce was born in Alfred, N. Y., Dec. 26, 1817, and died at the home of his son Clark in Edgerton, Wis., Jan. 18, 1905, aged 87 years and 23 days. Brother Pierce was a pioneer in this country, coming the way of the lakes to Milwaukee and walking from there to the place where Milton now stands. Uncle Joseph Goodrich came at the same time and built the first house in Milton, into which he placed a stock of dry goods and groceries and placed Mr. Pierce in charge, when he returned to Alfred for his family. The next year Mr. Goodrich returned and found that Mr. Pierce had sold over $400 worth of goods.
Mr. Pierce assisted in laying out the first road, in the organization of the town, and in all that kind of work, which falls to the lot of the first settlers of any new country.
In September, 1840, Brother Pierce was married to Miss Olive Hall, who died in March, 1901. Three children were born to them, two sons and one daughter. The daughter and one son died young. One son still lives with one brother and many other relatives and friends mourn their loss.
As near as we can learn, Brother Pierce was converted to Christ before coming to this country. Some say that he was a constituent member of the Milton church, which was organized in 1840. In April, 1846, his name heads a list of forty-three members who were dismissed by the Milton church to form the Rock River church, and in Nov, 1875, he became a member of the Milton Junction church and remained in its membership until death.
He was a man of strong convictions, of sterling Christian characteristics, of sound judgment, one who was often sought for counsel, accurate in business, and one whom to know was a pleasure and a blessing.
Geo. J. Crandall