Short Biography of Sylvester S. Hills

Sylvester S. Hills is the present landlord of the Nichols House, at Albany. He was born in Onondaga Co., N. Y., Dec. 17, 1833, and was but four years old when he began pioneer life in Green county, where he grew to manhood. In 1852, in company with a brother and cousin, he opened a tin shop in the village of Monticello. Soon after he purchased the interest of his partners and then purchased a stock of merchandise from Mathias Marty, continuing in business there until 1857. He then sold out, and the following year went to Mitchell Co., Iowa, and opened a tin shop at St. Ausgar, where he remained but a short time, then sold out and went to Minnesota, stopped there a short time and entered 160 acres of land in Freeborn county, after which he spent one year in Kansas and Nebraska. He then returned to Green county and was there married April 18, 1861, to Sara A., daughter of Jeptha and Harriet (Conger) Davis. She was born in Varysburg, Wyoming Co., N. Y., Oct. 28, 1833. After marriage, Mr. Hills went to Cross Plains, where he engaged in buying and shipping produce one year, then went to Woodman, Grant county, and engaged in the same business, also acted as station agent. He continued to follow the same business at different points on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad for a number of years, after which he was employed by the Victor Scale Company as general agent, and traveled in the northwestern States. He then resumed railroading, becoming station agent at Plainfield, on the Wisconsin Central road. In 1880 he leased the hotel at Evansville and engaged in hotel keeping, which he continued there three years, then came to Albany and leased the Nichols House. As a landlord Mr. Hills is a decide success, his house bearing the reputation of being the best hotel in Green county. Mr. and Mrs Hills have had three children, only one of whom is now living—Elmer E., who was born Oct. 27, 1867. Erwin F. was born July 13, 1866, and died Sept. 9, of the same year. Their eldest son, Arthur, was born Nov. 10, 1862. He was an unusually precocious child and when twelve years of age became messenger boy in the State Senate of Wisconsin, which position he filled during two sessions. He was so honest and trustworthy that, at the age of fifteen, he was appointed station agent on the Wisconsin Central Railroad, having entire charge of the station, including express and telegraph business. He resigned this position to accept a situation as telegraph operator in the city of Milwaukee, in the employ of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, where he soon after met his death, Oct. 13, 1879, in a railroad accident. This young man was universally esteemed, and the High School at Evansville, of which he had been a member, thus expressed themselves:

Since God has, by a mysterious providence, allowed death to come into our midst and has taken away one, who, but lately, went in and out among us, we, the member s of the High School, desire to express our sorrow and deep sympathy with the family so suddenly bereft, and to add our testimony that, while with us, Arthur was always cheerful in spirit, of obliging disposition, and faithful in the performance of duty.

By wish of the school.

{Signed} C.M. MERRIMAN, Principal

L. N. BUSHNELL, Assistant

Mr. Hills was for twenty years a republican, but joined the greenback party at its organization, in 1876, and was a member of the first State central committee, also a delegate to the Chicago convention in 1880 that nominated Weaver for President.

Source: "History of Green County, Wisconsin" ⁴⁸¹³