Philo Belden

Philo Belden (October 22, 1815 – September 9, 1889) was an American lawyer, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was one of the founders of the settlement that is now Rochester, Wisconsin, and represented Racine County for five years in the Wisconsin Legislature; he served two years in the Wisconsin Senate (1871, 1872) and three years in the state Assembly (1853, 1864, 1866). He served the last seven years of his life as county judge of Racine County.

His grandson, Ellsworth Burnett Belden, also became a prominent lawyer and long-serving judge in Racine County.

Early life Belden was born in Canaan, Connecticut, the sixth child of Jonathan and Love Dean Belden. He left Connecticut in 1835 and purchased land in the Michigan Territory. However, in 1836 he traveled to Racine County, in the Wisconsin Territory, and subsequently decided to sell his land in Michigan and purchased land in Rochester, in western Racine County, in 1838.

Early years in Wisconsin

In October 1839, Belden, along with fellow Racine County pioneers Martin C. Whitman, Levi Godfrey, Obed Hurlbut, and Hiland Hurlbut, plotted all of the village property of Rochester west of the Fox River, and the portion on the east side of the river south of Main Street.

Philo Belden died on September 9, 1889, in Rochester. His funeral was held on September 11, 1889, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Racine, and he was buried at Rochester Cemetery.

Family life

On June 6, 1839, he married Mary Francis Belden of La Porte, Indiana, the daughter of Henry and Fannie Belden. They had four sons, the eldest three served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Henry Ward Belden volunteered in the 24th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment and eventually became a captain in the 37th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. He married Emily Brown of Rochester, moved to Milwaukee and eventually settled in Tennessee. They had five children, Judge Ellsworth Burnett Belden, Louis Jay Belden, Ruby L. Belden, Robert Brown Belden, and Charles Ezra Belden. Edward D. J. Belden joined the 1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery Regiment and was stationed in Washington, D.C. He married "Nellie" and moved to Oregon and then California after the Civil War. Albert O. Belden, who was only 15, enlisted at President Lincoln's call for sixty-day troops and served as a private in the 39th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. He married Janet Ormiston of Union Grove, Wisconsin, and remained in Rochester. They had a son, Philo Warren Belden. Allen H. Belden married Ella Robertson, divorced, and remarried Etta Burns and also remained in Rochester. He had one son with Ella Robertson, Louis Andrew Belden.