Baraboo, Dells, and Devil's Lake RegionCole, Harry Ellsworth
History
Baraboo, Dells, and Devil's Lake Region
Cole, Harry Ellsworth
Baraboo (Wis.); Dells of the Wisconsin (Wis.); Devil's Lake (Wis.); Sauk County (Wis.)
Bernard I. Durward, a professor, poet, and painter, was born at
Montrose, Scotland, and married Margaret Hilyard in the Episcopal
church at Manchester, England. They came to America and some time
after, at the request of a friend, Joshua Hathaway of Milwaukee, Mr.
Durward painted a portrait of Archbishop Henni. While engaged on the
picture, the artist was converted to Catholicism. He often remarked
that while he got the bishop's picture, the bishop got him. The
portrait, with one of Mr. Hathaway, is now in the possession of the
State Historical Society of Wisconsin, at Madison.
Wisconsin Was a Territory
It was in 1845 that the father, mother, and two sons came from England
to Wisconsin, then a territory. They reached Milwaukee without funds
but provision for the family was soon assured by an order for a
portrait from a merchant in the city. Before making Milwaukee their
home, however, the family spent a short time in Dodge County and of
this experience a son, Rev. Fr. J. T. Durward, has written:
"Indians being then plentiful and Cooper's tales the popular reading,
it was no place for a young wife and children, so he rented a house in
Milwaukee; his profession also requiring the more populous locality."
While the family resided in Milwaukee the father painted portraits and
occupied the chair of belles lettres in St. Francis seminary. But the
ebullitions of life in a city, even the size of Milwaukee, disturbed
the artistic mind and the painter sought seclusion in a retreat amongst
the Caledonia Hills at the Glen. Like Thoreau, politics, palaces and
paved streets had no lure for his aesthetic temperament.
The Children
Frederick, afterwards called Bernard, was born in England and died at
Riverside, Milwaukee.
Percy, the future artist known as Charles, was born in England and died
at the Glen from eating water hemlock. He employed an "o" in his name,
spelling it Dorward, the usual form after the so-called reformation.
Earlier in Scotch history the name was spelled Durward.
Emerson, afterwards John Thomas, was born in Milwaukee and died in
Baraboo in 1918. For many years he had charge of St. Joseph's church in
the city, supervised the erection of the present edifice, and wrote a
number of books, "Holy Land and Holy Writ," "Durward's Life and Poems,"
and others.
Emma Theresa, the first daughter, was born and died in Milwaukee. The
baby's funeral was by boat and interment was on the Durward property in
that city.
Allan, afterwards Rev. James Durward of St. James' Church, St. James,
Minnesota, is the owner of the Glen but continues to reside at St.
James.
Wilfred J. Durward, taxidermist, photographer, and author of "Annals of
the Glen," was born in Milwaukee. For many years his home has been
near Tacoma, Washington, where he married in 1919.
[Illustration: CHAPEL AND VIEWS IN THE GLEN]
Andrew, born in Milwaukee resides near Tacoma, Washington. His marriage
was solemnized in the Glen chapel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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