Notes
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George was born on Feb. 27, 1846 at Somerset County, Maine and was a son of Robert and Martha (Beckwith) Athearn. Both parents were also natives of Maine. Robert died when George was quite young and Martha died in Winnebago County, Wisconsin in December 1866 at the age of 83 years. George traveled to Oshkosh, Winnebago Coun-ty on a visit to his half-brothers James and Nathan Johnston, and he stayed for a year. His intentions were to attend school, but he failed to do so. He returned to Maine where, at the age of 17 years, he enlisted in Company K, 2nd Maine Cavalry on Dec. 14, 1863. He was honorably discharged on Sept. 18, 1865 at Augusta, Maine. While he was in the military, George's family had moved to near Waterville, Kennebeck County, Maine. He went there and worked on the farm with his brother. George was married at New Jersey in the fall of 1866 to Eliza Z. (Elsa) Pressey. She was born circa 1845 at Maine. In December of that year the farm was sold and George, along with his wife and mother, removed to Winnebago County, Wisconsin where they bought a farm of 170 acres near Oshkosh. George sold his interest in the farm to his brother in 1867 and moved into the city of Oshkosh, where he was engaged in the wholesale grain business. He was listed in 1868 as a boarder at the Adams House. During that year he removed to a small town near Freeport, Illinois and erected a grain elevator. He sold out after eight months and returned to Oshkosh. He purchased a farm of 160 acres next to that of his brother and was engaged in dairy farming. George and Elsa were listed in 1870 as residing on a farm in the town of Algoma next to that of his brother John. When the Chicago, Minneapolis & St. Paul Railroad was built through a part of his land, a valuable deposit of building stone was discovered there. George rented out the remainder of his farm and again moved into Oshkosh. He turned his attention to the opening of the stone quarry, which has remained in operation for over a century and today (2001) is still going strong. After he operated the quarry for two years, George sold out. He was then involved in real estate and other ventures that proved very successful and profitable. In 1881, with George V. Croft as a partner, he entered into the hotel business. They took charge of the Revere House in Oshkosh. When the new Palmer House at Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County was opened they were induced into accepting the management of that new hotel and their interests in the Revere House were sold. George was later forced to take back the Revere House as the new owner could not keep up the payments. After sixteen months of managing both establishments, George sold his interests in Fond du Lac and formed a new partnership with his son, George Jr., to operate the Revere House. George continued in the hotel business and other speculative ventures for the remainder of his life. George and Eliza had two sons: George Jr., born circa 1867; and Fred. George was listed in 1888 as a member of GAR Post #241 at Oshkosh. He was listed in the veteran schedule of the 1890 federal census of Wisconsin as residing in Oshkosh. He was also listed in the veteran section of the 1895 Wisconsin State census at P.O. Oshkosh. George died on Sept. 1, 1897 and is buried in Oshkosh at Riverside Cemetery, block 51, lot 3. Eliza was listed in 1905 as residing at the Athearn Hotel in Oshkosh.
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