A gold digger returned from California in 1852, paid off the mortgage and made his brother a present of the land.

The evidence

• “Drew wished to attend, he had to walk fifteen miles and back. He stayed in this employ till 1849, but had ^bought eighty acres of laud, on which there was a mortgage of $200 ; in the spring of 1850, he increased the mortgage by $100, borrowing money at 25 per cent, and went to California, where he was successful at gold digging ; in 1852, he returned, paid off the mortgage and made his brother a present of the land ; in the spring of 1 853, he bought his present farm of 320 acres, which is free from incumbrance, well stocked, and OD which he raises general produce. Married Miss Hannah Buckley, of Janesville, Feb. 21, 1859 ; she died in 1865 ; they had four children— John, Nov. 22, 1859 ;”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/33-bios-magnolia.md, PDF p. 874

  Butterfield, C. W., et al. The History of Rock County, Wisconsin: its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879. Cornell University Library via the Internet Archive, archive.org/details/cu31924028871585.

  Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources