From a letter written January 16, 1975 by Callie I. Shumate detailing Orion history
"The church was Methodist, now Orion Bible Church. Orion was previously named Richmond, then Beach. The old courthouse was a two-story building shaped like a shoebox, a frame building - two rooms in the lower part, one big room in the top. Meetings, dances and silly shows were held above. The post office was there until about 1905. There was a general store in the building after it ceased to be a courthouse. Indian Creek School was first taught by Ada Bobb in 1870. The old courthouse was torn down. Kenneth Thiede's house stands where the courthouse was. Peter Bobb's granddaughter was Maude (Bobb) Strnad. The church was written about in the Muscoda Progressive in 1968 and it shows a photo of Peter and Mrs. Bobb on the wall of the church. Before the school was used for a church, services were held in Thomas Mathew's home. He {referring to Peter Bobb} died in 1913. He was a member of Indian Creek School Board. The school was built 1-1/4 miles from Orion. It burned and was replaced west of it by a brick schoolhouse. It hasn't been used for years. It was replaced by Eagle-Orion School."
*letter is signed: Mrs. Frank Shumate, Muscoda, WI 53573
Mamie Bobb married Herbert L. Barnhart and had a son, Arthur H. Barnhardt, who died March 13, 1983 at age 82.
Alexander Bobb, son of Frederick and Margaret (Genner) Bobb, was born March 28, 1823 in Hanover Twp, York County, PA. Learned moulding trade at 16, and worked many years as a journeyman in moulding business. Established foundry in Roaring Spring, PA. Served in Civil War as a Captain & Lt. Colonel. Elected Sheriff of Blair County, PA. Married Matilda C. Mattern, daughter of Jacob Mattern of Huntingdon County, PA, in February 1847. Father of Alexander born in Wurtemburg, Germany and worked as a dyer.
Annah Bobb was born in Martinsburg, Blair County, PA on March 26, 1834. The daughter of Frederick and Margaret (Genner) Bobb, both born in Germany. She joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in Martinsburg at age 15. Migrated to Richland County, WI from PA in March 1855 with mother and brother, John, by riverboat. Married Aaron Shepherd on February 22, 1872. Daughters were: Margaret & Annah Lutitia Shepherd. Annah died December 25, 1928 in the Viola, WI home of daughter, Annah Dary. Had been living at Viola home of daughter, Margaret (Mrs. William) Benson prior to her death. Aaron Shepherd died November 3, 1908.
OBITUARIES:
Donald Boyd Bobb, 62, of Muscoda, died July 13, 1981 at University Hospital, Madison. Born December 22, 1918, Richland County, son of William and Ella Grace (Landon) Bobb. Served in 9th Division of 47th Infantry in WWII. Was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Married Dorothy Rohovits. Survived by three sons: Dennis, Robert and Kevin of Muscoda, two brothers: Buford and Paul of Muscoda, Mother, Ella Grace Bobb of Muscoda, two sisters: Mrs. Lorraine Orth of Black Earth and Mrs. Max (Ruth) Barth of Mt. Horeb. Funeral at Muscoda United Presbyterian Church. Burial at Muscoda Cemetery.
Grace Bobb, 97, died July 13, 1986 at Riverdale Manor, Muscoda, after a long illness. Born June 6, 1889 in Lexington, Nebraska, daughter of Clarence and Jennie (Keene) Landon. Married William H. Bobb. They farmed in the Indian Creek area for many years. William H. died in September 1968. Survivors: two sons: Paul and Buford (Anna) of Muscoda, two daughters; Mrs. Lorraine Orth of Black Earth and Mrs. Max Barth of Mt. Horeb, three sisters; Fern Hill of Muscoda, Eva Decker of Monona and Gladys Waddell of Indianapolis, IN. Preceeded by a son; Donald in 1981, her parents, a brother: Roy, two sisters: Hazel Landon and Stella Harms, and two grandchildren: Alice Bobb and John Gordon. Burial at Indian Creek Cemetery.
Anna Bobb, youngest daughter of Frederick and Magraret Bobb, born in Martinsburg, Blair County, PA on March 26, 1834, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Annah Dary on December 25, 1928 at age 94 years, 9 months. When she was 15, she became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Martinsburg, PA. She came to Wisconsin with her mother and brother John Bobb in March 1855. They came by water on the Ohio River from Pittsburgh to St. Louis, then on the Mississippi River to Prairie du Chien. From there, they came on the Wisconsin River to Orion. The trip took two weeks, and was made entirely by boat. In Orion, they moved into a small log cabin and she has been a resident of Richland County since then (almost 74 years.) The county was new and they suffered many hardships. She married Aaron Shepherd on February 22, 1872 and had two daughter, Margaret Benson and Annah Dary, both of Viola. Her husband preceeded her in death (November 3, 1908) and since, she has lived with Mrs. Benson (daughter). She is survived by two daughters, six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, also several step-grandchildren.
Annah Bobb married Mr. Shepherd, who was married once previously. She was the mother of Margaret and Annah Lutitia Shepherd. Margaret married William Benson and had a daughter, Grace (Benson) Reed. Annah Lutitia married Eli Pellett, then Eli Dary.
Notes taken from the book "RICHLAND COUNTY, WI HISTORY" located at Brewer Public Library History Room, Richland Center, WI
PAGE 337: AARON AND ANNAH (BOBB) SHEPHERD
George Shepherd, born 1777 in Cairn County, Ireland, was an apprentice weaver. He married Jane Poggel in 1809 and they had two children. In 1811 they sailed for America. They encountered severe storms over, but finally located in Wilmington, Maryland. Mrs Shepherd died soon after and George married Elizabeth Whitford. Into this union twelve children were born
Aaron, son of George and Elizabeth Whitford Shepherd left Ohio in 1854 with Oliver Guess and came to Orion, Wisconsin in search of suitable land on which to live. Aaron settled at the beginning of Mill Creek and Oliver Guess on land known as the Brindley place. The two men then walked to LaCrosse to secure land patents signed by President James Buchanan. They cut the first trail from the Black River road through to Mill Creek.
Among the first settlers on Mill Creek were the Merrills, Jackmans, Bobbs, Higgenbothams, Twaddles, Keplers, Browns, and Higgins. They had to walk to Orion to get their mail and groceries. The first church was built where the cemetery is now and was known as the Mount Tabor Church. The cemetery is known as the Mount. Mount Tabor Cemetery was that of Margaret Shepherd Benson's half-brother in 1855. At this time there were only four or five houses in Richland Center, and Viola didn't exist at all.
In 1872 Aaron Shepherd married Anna Bobb, daughter of Fredrick and Margarite Yenner Bobb. Anna Bobb Shepherd leaves these words for posterity.
"My father, Fredrick Bobb, born 1786, and his wife, Margarite, came to this country from Bylinger, Germany. The German ship was wrecked in a heavy storm, but they managed to land in Norway with their three children. Two of the children died from the hardships they had to endure during the crossing and they were buried at sea. After a year in Norway, they came to America, landing in Maryland. Fredrick and Margarite walked from Maryland to Pennsylvania, bringing with them their small son, Charles. Charles became a naturalized American at the age of six and one-half. They settled in the county of Morrison Cove, in the town of Martinsburg. While living here three children: Peter, Annah and Alexander were born. Fredrick, the father, died while the family lived in Pennsylvania. Time passed, and during the war between the states, Alexander became a major in the Union Army. After the war Margarite Bobb brought Annah and her brother, John, to Wisconsin, making the trip entirely by water. They got on a boat near Pittsburgh, went down the Ohio River to St. Louis, Missouri, the up the Mississippi River to Prairie du Chien, on the Wisconsin River to Orion, Wisconsin.
In Wisconsin we would watch the oxen teams come and go. A horse was a real surprise. We had lots of wild fruit that we dried, as we didn't can anything. We made maple syrup for sweetening.
I married Aaron Shepherd in 1872 {Photo at right is Aaron and Annah on their wedding day} and had two children, Margaret (Shepherd) Benson and Anna (Shepherd) Pellett. After the death of my husband I lived with my daughter, Margaret and her husband, William Benson. I took great pleasure helping care for their two youngest children, Ruby and Albert."
Annah Bobb Shepherd died December 25, 1928, and is buried in the Mount Tabor Cemetery near Sabin.
Grace (Benson) Reed is the daughter of William and Margaret (Shepherd) Benson, and the granddaughter of Aaron and Annah (Bobb) Shepherd. Submitted by Grace Benson Reed
Notes taken from the book "HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY, WI 1906 - MINER" Located at Brewer Public Library History Room, Richland Center, WI
PAGE 257:
John Bobb, a native of Pennsylvania, came in the spring of 1854 and bought land on Section 32, where he cleared a farm and erected a neat house and barn. When civil war broke out he enlisted, and died in the service.
{Book contains more about John which is not covered here}
PAGE 254:
Peter Bobb, a native of Maryland, came from Pennsylvania in 1854 and purchased land on Section 32, where he still resides. His brother, Charles, came at about the same time and settled on the SE 1/4 of Section 7, but finally removed to the village of Orion, where he died.
Notes taken from the book "SOME PIONEER FAMILIES OF WISCONSIN - AN INDEX" Published by WI Genealogical Society in 1977. Located at Brewer Public Library History Room, Richland Center, WI
PAGE 12:
Peter Frederick Bobb
Born: February 13, 1819, Maryland
Died: February 21, 1913, Richland County, WI
Spouse: Margaret Shimer
Contact: Gladys Bobb Schram, Milwaukee, WI
PAGE 12:
Thomas Allan Bobb
Born. November 24, 1856, WI
Died. November 24, 1938
Married: Almeda Cudney, Richland County
Contact: Gladys Bobb Schram, Milwaukee, WI
PAGE 12:
Stephen Bobb/Popp
Born: October 14, 1852, Germany
Died: March 4, 1938, Sheboygan County, WI
Spouse: Marie A. Kirsten
Contact: Margaret (Bobb) Grass, Fox Point, WI
Notes taken from the book "HERE THEY SLEEP" located at Brewer Public Library History Room, Richland Center, WI
PAGE __:
Margaret Bobb
Died: May 30, 1870 78 Yrs 10 Mos 17 Dys
Notes taken from the book "CEMETERY INSCRIPTIONS OF SAUK CO., WI - VOLUME 2" located at Brewer Public Library History Room, Richland Center, WI
PAGE 88:
Tombstone inscription on Fausnaught family marker with "Grandma" footstone
Bobb, Elizabeth
Born: November 9, 1781
Died: May 5, 1862
"1874 ATLAS - RICHLAND COUNTY - ORION, WI" located at Richland County Courthouse, Richland Center, WI
C. Bobb 160 Acres Section 7 SE 1/4 {Atlas shows ME Church on land}
M.L. Bobb 80 Acres Section 17 N 1/2 of NE 1/4
W. Rue 40 Acres Section 21 SE 1/4 of SW 1/4
M.C. Bobb ___ Acres Section 32 Part of NW 1/4 {most of the north half of that 1/4}
P. Bobb 180 Acres Section 32 N 1/2 & SE 1/4 of NE 1/4
A. Bobb {on river across Hwy from Indian Creek Cemetery}
C. McElhatten 40 Acres Section 29 SW 1/4 of NE 1/4
C. McElhatten 40 Acres Section 29 NE 1/4 of SE 1/4
"1874 ATLAS - RICHLAND COUNTY - EAGLE, WI" located at Richland County Courthouse, Richland Center, WI
J. Bobb 80 Acres Section 13 NW 1/4 & SW 1/4 of NE 1/4
Notes taken from the book "HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON & BLAIR COUNTIES, PA BY J.S. AFRICA 1883" VOLUME 1 - HUNTINGDON COUNTY
PAGE 376:
School Director, 1879, A.Y. Bobb.
PAGE 378:
Harry Corbin Post #200 G.A.R. was organized December 1880 with 21 members. The first officers included: A.Y. Bobb, S.V.C. Union Twp. (Borough of Mapleton?), Huntingdon County, PA.
Notes taken from the book "HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON & BLAIR COUNTIES, PA BY J.S. AFRICA 1883" VOLUME 2 - BLAIR COUNTY
PAGE 15:
Sheriffs: Alexander Bobb elected October 1873.
PAGE 26:
Stockholders of the Blair County Agricultural Association of the borough of Hollidaysburg, PA, September 1, 1881: Alexander Bobb
PAGE 49:
Resident in 1840, the "taxables" as written by assessors, including all boroughs, villages, etc: under "Single Freemen": Peter Bobb
PAGE 185:
By the erection of Blair County in 1846, North Woodberry, including the greater portion of the present township of Taylor, was detatched from Bedford County to form part of the first-named civil division. The residents of the township then assessed for taxes were named as follows: Frederick Bobb.
PAGE 187: MARTINSBURG
The burough of Martinsburg is situated in Morrison's Cove Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, 22 miles south of Altoona. It contains about 600 inhabitants (464 in 1860, 538 in 1870, 567 in 1880), six church edifices, the Juniata Collegiate Institute, a handsome public school building, a banking house, hotel, planing mill, foundry, flour mill, tannery and various mercantile houses and small mechanical shops. Among it's present business and professional men are: E.G. Bobb, druggist. Although Martinsburg is quite generally denominated an old town, and though it's streets and many of it's buildings are of an ancient style, yet it appears that the beautiful region surrounding it had been settled for more than 50 years before an attempt was made to found the town in question.
About the year 1812, Daniel Camerer and Abraham Stoner settled upon the village sit. The first lots were plotted by Camerer about 1815.
Stoner's plot* was laid out about 1820, and among it's early settlers were: Alexander Bobb (father of the present Major Alexander Bobb, who came here in 1823), and _______ Shimer.
*James McCrea's extension to Martinsburg was platted October 14, 1871.
PAGE 188:
The town having attained considerable importance as a commercial centre, it was incorporated as a borough by an act of the State Legislature, approved April 2, 1832. Early burough records have not been preserved, however, and it is now impossible to show eho the village officers were during the years to 1847 or their proceedings. By an act of the Legislature, approved April 24, 1844, the borough lines were changed, and in consequence, the corporate limits diminished.
Residents in 1846: P.T. Bobb, Charles Bobb, Frederick Bobb, Alexander Bobb. Single Freemen: John Bobb.
PAGES 188-189:
Martinsburg Borough Officers: 1854 - Alexander Bobb, Town Council. 1855 - Alexander Bobb, Town Council. 1882 _ Alexander Bobb, Town Council.
PAGE 201:
Officers elected to the Tyrone Municipal Government of "an incorporate body... pertaining to and regulating boroughs." The time for holding the first elections was set for the 11th day of August (1857). The officers elected at that time were duly qualified August 17, 1857, as follows: Alexander Bobb, high constable.
PAGE 212:
General Maufacturing Interests in the borough of Tyrone: A brewery was one of the first industries... About the same time a foundry was started near the river, at the foot of Logan Street, by Stone Williams & Co., which was subsequently carried on by Alexander Bobb and William Mattern.
PAGE 222:
Colonel Alexander Bobb, son of Frederick F. Bobb, was born in Hanover Township, York County, PA, March 28, 1823. His father was a dyer in Wurtemburg, Germany, and emigrated to America in 1818. He died somewhere about 1855.
When Alexander was sixteen years old, he learned the moulding trade. In February, 1847, he married Miss Matilda C., daughter of Jacob Mattern, of Huntingdon County, PA. They have had four children: William M., James S., George E., and Alexander. The two latter were twins and died in infancey, the others are now living. Mr. Bobb worked as a journeyman at the moulding business for a number of years, at the Martinsburg Foundry and many other places; had charge of the foundry at Hopewell< Bedford County, PA, for some time as foreman. At the beginning of the late war there was a company of volunteers taken from Martinsburg to Harrisburg, and being dissatisfied with their captain, refused to be mustered in under him. They telegraphed twice to Mr. Bobb, asking him to take charge of them, and on his refusing the company threatened to disband and return home.
Reconsidering the matter, he consulted his wife who consented out of pure patriotism, and he went and took charge of and mustered them in. They at once went into active service under General Patterson of Philadelphia, and at the end of three months were discharged. Captain Bobb returned home, began recruiting, and soon raised a company for the nine months' service.In a few weeks started again to the front as captain; was with the company in the battles of Antietam and Fredericksburg. On December 13, 1862, he took command of the right wing of the One Hundred and Thirty-third Pennsylvania. So terrific was that battle, the dead were piled up as a breastwork, holding their position until nightfall, when they were ordered by the division commander to fall back. He with the regiment was engaged in the battle of Chancellorsville in May, 1863. At the expiration of their term of enlistment he returned home. In a few weeks Captain Bobb raised another company. He was commisioned as major by Governor Curtain, and started into the Army of the James, under General Butler, and their engagements were as follows: Fort Steadman, March 25, 1865. On the 2nd of April took the breastworks at Petersburg, VA, and for gallant conduct on that day Major Bobb was brevetted Lieutenant-Colonel. The war over, Colonel Bobb returned to Hopewell, and went in partnership with C.W. Ashcome in the foundry, where he remained a year, then bought a half-interest in the foundry at Martinsburg. In three years he sold out and built the foundry at Roaring Spring. Two years afterwards it burned down, and in 1875 he rebuilt it, and he is still carrying on the business there. In the fall of 1873, Colonel Bobb was elected sheriff of Blair County, and served with great credit for three years. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for 40 years, and has held all the positions except to preach. Colonel Bobb and wife are living in Martinsburg, while he carries on his business in Roaring Spring.
PAGE 231:
Jacob Genner (warrant) 100 Acres - Tyrone Twp. in 1787.