Carl Clarence Cottrell history

BENJAMIN ADELBERT CADY STORY

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The name "Cady" is derived from the Gaelic word "Cadia", which means "Gateway of the house of God." "Cadia" in the Scottish is an errand boy, or messenger. The name "Cade" in the ancient "Hundred Rolls" was changed to "Caddie", then progressed through several spellings such as Caddy, Cadye, Kayde, Cadey, and finally became "Cady", the form used in America.

Members of the Cady family in England were not limited to a single locality, but dispersed at an early date into many of the English countries, and their record extends back to 1327.

The first Cady to be found in American records is Nicholas Cady, who came to America with a William Knapp in 1630 from Stoken-Stein, Suffolk County, England.

Benjamin Adelbert Cady, Myrtle (Cady) Cottrell's father, was born in Granville, Vermont in 1840. His parents, Jacob and Betsy E. (Coolidge) Cady were also born in Vermont. The Cady family was of Scotch and English descent and were early settlers (1600's) in America. Benjamin's parents came to Wisconsin from Lowell, MA, making the trip from Buffalo, NY to Milwaukee, WI in a sailing vessel on April 6, 1850. Benjamin's brother, Philander, walked all the way from Buffalo to Milwaukee with his brother-in-law (Richardson). It is not known why he did not travel by ship with his parents or exactly when this happened. Jacob Cady and his family visited relatives in the Milwaukee area for a while and then fitted out an ox-team and went to the Indian lands north of Berlin.

Jacob Cady located near a stream about three miles south of Poy Sippi. The stream become known as Cady's Creek and the area become know as Cadyville, it is now known as Fountain Valley. Jacob proceeded to clear the land and make a comfortable home. Jacob Cady spent the remainder of his life on this place, and passed away in 1885. His wife, Betsy, continued to reside on the Cady homestead.

Jacob Cady was no politician, but was made chairman of the town board, and held other minor offices. Benjamin Adelbert Cady was only ten years old when his father settled in 1850 in the wilds of Wisconsin. Wolves and deer were to be seen in the forests and the nearest neighbor was an Indian whose wigwam was a mile away. There were no schools for five years after their arrival, but fortunately Benjamin had been in school in Lowell, MA before he left the east coast. Under the instruction of his parents Benjamin pursued his studies at home until he was eighteen years of age, when he entered the high school at Berlin. He later went to Milton College in Milton, WI.

On November 24, 1863, Benjamin enlisted in Company J, Thirty-seventh Wisconsin Infantry, and was made the company clerk. In the Spring of 1864 the regiment joined the Ninth Army Corps, at Cold Harbor in central Virginia. Mr. Cady was in several engagements in the battle of Petersburg, VA. On June 19, 1864, he was wounded in the right hand (two fingers shot off) and was sent to Lincoln Hospital in Washington, DC. He was transferred to Madison, WI, where he received his discharge on April 2,1865. He then returned to the farm, took up the study of law, and in March, 1867, was admitted to the bar of Waushara county, WI.

Benjamin opened up a law office in his own house, the house Carl and Myrtle later lived in, and commenced practicing law plus farming and raising livestock. He later became the district attorney of Waushara County. About 1879 Benjamin and Julia divorced. After the divorce Benjamin sold out his interests at Poy Sippi and apparently left his wife the house and 10 acres. Benjamin's wife Julia, and his daughter Myrtle continued to live in the Cady house and Julia continued to live there after Carl married Myrtle and moved into the house.

Benjamin moved to Wood County and engaged in lumbering at Milladore (about 15 miles NW of Stevens Point) where he married Ada L. Empie on October 16. 1881. Benjamin and Ada had two children, Blanche A. and Arthur L. In the Fall of 1883 he closed out the lumbering business and moved to Birnamwood (about 20 miles east of Wausau), where he had made some investments, and entered into the mercantile business. Benjamin Cady was also a well known and popular lawyer in Birnamwood and district attorney of Shawano County. In 1909 he spent two sessions in the state capital at Madison as a Republican state assemblyman from Shawano County.