Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/191

 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTS 139 that church. He helped to organize the AVinona presbytery in 1855, being one of the three clergymen who founded it. In addi- tion to his religious work, Mr. Hancock was in various capacities connected with the civic life of the community. He was first postmaster in Red Wing, and was appointed by Governor Ram- sey, territorial governor of Minnesota, as register of deeds in 1855. In the fall of that year he was elected to the office by the people. He was deeply interested in educational affairs and in the early history of the community had much to do in shaping the school interests. From 1862 to 1865 he was superintendent of schools in Goodhue county, and from 1870 to 1880 again served in the same capacity. His latter years were spent practically in retirement. He published a short history of the county in 1893, and to his writings the managers of the present publication are greatly indebted. William B. Hancock, deceased, was one of those heroes who gave the best of the young manhood to the cause of their country, having come out of the nation's great civil struggle badly crippled, and doomed to suffer more or less pain for the remain- der of his natural days. He was born at Orford, N. H., January 26. 1832. son of Joseph and Lydia (Peek) Hancock, both natives of New England. The father was a farmer and blacksmith all his life. He went to Vermont in early manhood, but in his declin- ing years returned to New Hampshire, where he died in 1876. His wife died many years before, in 1832. William B. received his education in Vermont, and after leaving school farmed with his father. At the outbreak of the Civil War, when the Green Mountain boys were rallying to the support of the Union and the flag which the sons of that state love so well, he enlist.nl. in August, 1861. at Montpelier, Vt.. serving in Company H, 6th Ver- mont Volunteer Infantry. He was wounded at Lee's Mills, in April, 1862, in both limits, as the result of which he was left crippled for the rest of his life. In the early clays he came to Featherstone township, this county, bringing with him his family, ready to establish a home-tree in this new and rich country. He first bought eighty acres, to which he added from time to time until he owned 200 acres, on which he carried on general farming with much success, in 1899 he retired and moved to Red AVing. where he died, November 24. 1907. He was a Republican in politics, and a believer in the religious doctrines set forth by tie CJniversalist denomination. Mr. Hancock was married. December 13, 1855, at Berlin, Vt., to Laura B. Smith, a daughter of Abner and Rebecca (Carr) Smith, natives of the Green Mountain state Her father was a carpenter and joiner, a vocation he followed until the beginning of the war. He joined the Union army, serv- ing in Company B, 1st Vermont Volunteer Infantry. Al the