Posted on: Biographical Data -- Marinette County, WI Reply Here: http://genconnect.rootsweb.com/gc/USA/Wi/MarinetteBios/10029 Surname: Deau, Brault, Gaudette, Lintereur, Dupuis ------------------------- Transcription from "Commemorative Biographical Record of the West Shore of Green Bay, Wisconsin, including the counties of Brown, Oconto, Marinette and Florence" published by J.H. Beers and Co., 1896: Odilon Brault, a prosperous farmer and mill-owner of Coleman Township, is a member of the first family who settled in the township, their residence there dating from 1870. Mr. Brault's parents, Joseph and Euphemia (Bourgeois) Brault, were natives of Joliette county, Province of Quebec, Canada, where the father was engaged in business for years, both as a lumberman and merchant. In the course of his business life there, he erected three sawmills and a gristmill. In 1868, he came to Wisconsin, locating in Marinette county in 1869, in March of the same year going to Menominee. In 1870 he homesteaded 160 acres in Coleman township (which, like the entire surrounding region, was then all in the woods), and there erected a good, two-story house, which stood unil 1895, when it was destroyed by fire. On the land the family made a permanent settlement, and Mr. Brault spent the rest of his life in its cultivation and improvement. In 1883, he put up a sawmill and gristmill, 80x44 feeet in dimensions, and two stories in height, and in addition to his farming and milling operations conducted a store, becoming a prosperous man. He was active in public affairs and improvements, as well as an enterprising businessman, and the town of Braultville was named in his honor. He passed from earth April 15, 1887, aged sixty-three years, four monhs, seventeen days and was followed to the grave by his wife May 23, 1890, who was aged sixty-seven years, three months, three days. They had a family of nine children - six sons and three daughters - all the living ones, with the exception of Leon, being residents of Coleman township: Joseph (who is married), Urgele, Odilon (of whom this biography more particularly relates), Sinai, Edmond, Leon (who lives in Montreal, Canada), Justine (who died February 17, 1895), Julin (Mrs. Jean Baptiste Belanger) and Azarine (Mrs. Jebeau). Odilon Brault was born in 1853, in Joliette county, Province of Quebec, and was there reared and educated up to the age of fourteen when he came with his parents to Wisconsin. The trip was made from Lake Superior to Green Bay, thence to Peshtigo, Marinette county, where they first located in 1869. In 1870 he came thence to Coleman township,there for a time working for the Peshtigo Lumber Co. Since 1883, he has engaged in miling, his present mill having been erected in 1892, and he owns twelve acres of land besides. The mill gives employment to nine men besides the proprietor himself, and during the winters they cut from 400,000 to 500,000 feet of timber, principaly for farmers, in the summertime engaging in the manufacture of shingles, the shingle-mill turning out an average of 20,000 a day. Mr. Brault was married in 1880, in Menominee to Miss Lucy Niguett, who was born in Manitowoc county, Wis., daughter of Delphos Niguet, a native of Canada, who in an early day come to Manitowoc county; he now resides in Coleman township, where he owns a 240-acre farm. Before her marriage, Mrs. Brault taught school in Coleman township. Twelve children have come to Mr. and Mrs. Odilon Brault, namely: Eddie, Andrew, Albert, Clara, Anna, Addie, Lucy, Emma, Olive, Eliza, Elmyra and Mary. A a pioneer and almost life-long resident of the township, Mr. Brault has witnessed most of its development, and has noted with interest the rapid strides of advancement which have been made in the past few years. When the family settled on the timber-covered farm they experienced for a time many of the inconveniences and hardships which necessarily fall to the lot of pioneers, and in the fire of 1871, the improvements which had thus far been made were all wiped out by the destroying element - their barns and crops, everything, in fact, except the house, which was fortunately saved. The large mill erected by the elder Mr. Brault was burned February 13, 1891. Our subject and his wife are Catholics in religious faith, being members of St. John the Baptist, Coleman. Politically, he is an active Republican, one who takes a warm interest in the success of his party, and ardently supports its principles. He has served as treasurer of the school board.