From "History of La Crosse County, Wisconsin", 1881, p. 762. City of La Crosse JOHN HOFF, of the firm of Hoff & Goble, contractors and builders; was born in 1838 in Sandre Fron, Gudbransdalen, Norway; son of Iver Hoff, a carpenter; learned his trade of his father, and came to America in 1858; he settled in La Crosse and has been in the business here ever since, except two years, 1864 and 1865, when he was in Government employ in Tennessee and Alabama. He was married in 1867, to Agnet Brown, of La Crosse. [I am not related to this family and have no further information. I'm posting this as a service and hope it helps!]