Most of these articles were published in the late 19th and early 20 century in local histories. If you run across any that are not included below, please consider typing it up and contributing it to the web site. *Note: Although a valuable source, these histories are less accurate as subjects recount more than one or two previous generations.
Cornelius Van Tassel
Cornelius Van Tassel, farmer, Secs. 28 and 29; born in Tully,
Onondaga Co., N.Y., Aug. 18, 1816; in 1834, he removed to Huron Co., Ohio, with
his father; remained there six months, then went to La Porte Co., Ind., where
he resided two and a half years; came to Bradford, Rock Co., Wis., May 9, 1837;
is still living on the same section where he made his claim at the time he came
here; only one settler in this township when he came. Mr. Van Tassel broke the
first land in the township in which he resides; in 1837, he raised a crop of
sod-corn; in 1838, a crop of wheat; had to go a distance of sixty-five miles
from Beloit, to a mill located on Buffalo Creek, in Ogle Co., Ill., and wait
ten days for his turn, before he could get his grist. Mr. Van Tassel married
Sarah Payne April 10, 1843; she was born in Farmington, Ontario Co., N.Y., Sept.
2, 1821; they have five children - Jane (now Mrs. R. J. Whittleton, of Harvard,
Ill.) born Jan. 16, 1844; Nelson, Aug. 9, 1845; Elsie E., April 2, 1848; Martha
(now Mrs. Francis A. Griffith, of Ridgeway, Winneshiek Co., Iowa), Nov. 28,
1851, and Willis M., Nov. 8, 1864.
The History of Rock County, Wis. 1879, pp. 888-889.