Increase Allen Lapham (1811 - 1875)

Born 7 Mar 1811 in Palmyra, Wayne, New York, United States

Ancestors

Died 14 Sep 1875 at age 64 in Oconomowoc Lake, Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jennifer Lapham [send private message]

Biography

This profile is part of the Lapham Name Study.

Increase Lapham is Notable.

Increase Allen Lapham is considered "Wisconsin's first great scientist" and the "Father of the U.S Weather Service." He was the State Geologist of Wisconsin from 1873 to 1875, and recognized the cement potential of the Devonian-aged Milwaukee Formation as it was exposed along the banks of the Milwaukee River.

Increase Allen Lapham (Seneca, Pazzi, Benjamin, John, John, John) was born 7 Mar 1811 in Palmyra, Wayne County, New York (now Macedon, New York), the son of Seneca and Rachel Allen Lapham. His birth to Seneca and Rachel Lapham was recorded in the records of the Junius Meeting of the Society of Friends as on the 7th day of the third month in 1811^[1]

He married Ann Maria Alcott of Marshall, Michigan on 24 Oct 1838. Five children are listed:

1. Mary J. died unmarried 6 Oct 1915; buried at Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2. Julia, died unmarried 2 Jan 1921
3. Charles born 1857; died 18 Jan 1915; married Sybil Burke. Buried at Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
4. Henry born 1846. Buried in Pasadena, California
5. Seneca born 1847, died 15 Apr 1921.^[2]

The 1850 census lists:

Increase A Lapham M 39 NY (middle initial K in transcription - clearly A in image)

Ann M Lapham F 36 NY

Mary J Lapham F 12 WI

Julia A Lapham F 10 WI

Henry Lapham M 4 WI

Seneka Lapham M 2 WI (first name ' Je*A 'in transcription - clearly Seneka in image)

Amelia Lapham F 21 KY

Mehitable Olcott F 70 CT (presumably Ann's mother Mehitable Alcott)

Mary Waters F 22 Ireland ( domestic help perhaps) ^[3]

Increase Allen Lapham was born 7 Mar 1811 in Palmyra, Wayne County, New York and died 14 Sep 1875 (aged 64) while on Oconomowoc Lake, Waukesha County, Wisconsin. He was buried in the Forest Home Cemetery in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.

" Lapham died of a heart attack aboard his boat on Oconomowoc Lake."

Findagrave provides links to his parents:

Seneca Lapham 1784–1853

Rachel Allen Lapham 1785–1873

two siblings:

Darius Lapham 1809–1850

Amelia Hicks Lapham Scorah 1828–1895

his wife:

Ann Maria Alcott Lapham 1816–1863

and six children:

Mary Jane Lapham 1839–1915

Julia Alcott Lapham 1841–1921

William Allen Lapham 1843–1845

Seneca George Lapham 1848–1921

Samuel Stone Lapham 1852–1854

Charles Lapham 1857–1935^[4]

Research Notes

Laphams in America lists one child, Henry, born 1846, buried in Pasadena, California. who is not included in the FindaGrave list. The "Laphams" list does not include William and Samuel who died young. The 1850 census does show Henry age 4, does not show William, who died in 1845, Samuel born 1852 or Charles born 1857.

The 1850 census also shows Amelia Lapham 21 born in Kentucky and Mehitable Olcott 70 born in Connecticut (presumably Ann's mother Mehitable Alcott). Increase's sister Amelia Hicks Lapham was born 17 Feb 1828 in Shippenport near Louisville, Ky^[2]

As far as I have been able to find so far Increase and Ann's only descendants were Charles' daughter, Laura Julia Lapham Lindlow, her children and theirs, if they had any.

Sources

1. ↑ James E. Hazard Index, The Records of New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends at Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College.; Call Number J 853; Volume 3.1; Page 5; ID 241749.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Laphams in America compiled and written by Bertha Bortle Beal Aldridge Victor NY 1932-1953 pg 125, 188
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4DK-T76 : 12 April 2016), Henry Lapham in household of Increase K Lapham, Milwaukee, ward 2, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States; citing family 578, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
4. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images accessed February 20, 2024, memorial page for Increase Allen Lapham (7 Mar 1811–14 Sep 1875), Find A Grave: Memorial #17614395, citing Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.

See Also

• Increase A. Lapham on Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia