There are some pieces of information about George appearing in records which are slightly incorrect at times.
Best estimation is that the records and some facts are simply mis-recorded, misreported and misremembered by those providing it.
Note that his birth place is often recorded incorrectly as Massachusetts throughout records
What is certain is that George:
• was born in 1859 in Readsboro, Bennington, Vermont
Vermont Births and Christenings, 1765-1908 (on FamilySearch.org)
Name Puffer
Sex Male
Birth Date 19 Jul 1859
Birthplace Readsboro, Bennington, Vermont, United States
Birthplace (Original) Readsboro Twp, Bennington, Vermont, United States
Father's Name William Puffer
Mother's Name Maria Canedy
He is seen in the:
• 1860 Census at the age of one with his parents, William and Maria, three older half-siblings and one older full sibling residing in Readsboro, Bennington, Vermont
• 1870 Census living in Adams, Berkshire, Massachusetts, with his parents, two older half-siblings, one older full sibling and one younger full sibling
• 1880 Census living in Janesville, Rock, Wisconsin, with parents and younger brother (this is the first Census which mistakenly lists he and his parents as having been born in Massachusetts – all three were born in Vermont). George's and younger brother Charles' occupations were recorded as "works in C fact," which may be the cotton factory (mill). The Janesville Cotton Manufacturing Company was established in 1874 and in 1880 employed 250 people. Many individuals on the same page of the 1880 Census had the same occupation. The next page does abbreviate an occupation for one person as "works in Cot. F."
• 1883?? No marriage for George and Ellen "Nellie" Doheney has
been found; the 1900 Census indicates they were married in 1883
• 1884 Janesville, Wisconsin, directory listing his address as 33 N. Franklin and his occupation as "mach," presumably meaning machinist
• 1885 Wisconsin State Census taken on 20 Jun 1885 in Janesville indicating there are 3 males and 2 females in the household; this aligns if his and Ellen's daughter Lillian was born in Sep 1895, rather than Sep 1894 as indicated in the 1900 Census
• 1892 Janesville, Wisconsin directory publishing his address as 107 N. Franklin and his occupation as machinist
• 1900 Census living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at 270 Grove St. with his wife and six children; a mistaken birth place of Massachusetts; occupation machinist
• 1904 Milwaukee, Wisconsin directory listing his address as 460 Scott and occupation as "mach," i.e., machinist
• 1905 Wisconsin State Census taken on 1 Jun 1905 listed in Milwaukee with his wife and eight children; a mistaken birth place of New York; occupation machinist, BUT he was already in prison - see Census below indicating this fact
• 1905 Wisconsin State Census – the second and CORRECT one where he actually physically was as a convict in the State Penitentiary in Waupun, Dodge, Wisconsin
There are August and September 1904 newspaper articles written about George having used a revolver to shoot two or three times at a police officer while trying to escape arrest and thereafter being sentenced to eight years in the penitentiary.
The officer was shot in the hip and George was wounded, but not seriously. He was shot in the shoulder and taken to the emergency hospital.
One article lists the 460 Scott address, which matches the 1904 Milwaukee, Wisconsin directory. A daughter had sworn out a warrant as he was "in the habit of creating family disturbances." He was named as the former head machinist for the cotton mills in Janesville.
His wife was referred to as a "Janesville girl" and one article stated that this was a "culmination of numerous complaints that have been lodged against Puffer by members of his family." The police had said he was a heavy drinker and "had trouble with his wife and family on many occasions." On this particular evening, he was reported to the police by his wife. He was charged with assault with intent to kill.
Where things seem to be misrepresented or slightly off:
Why was George represented in the 1905 Wisconsin State Census in Milwaukee with his family even though he was sentenced in September of 1904 to eight years in prison and also appears on another 1905 Wisconsin State Census correctly in Waupun as a convict? Perhaps the family was trying to save face, or thought they were supposed to include him in order to enumerate him or some other unknown reason.
The 1906 and 1907 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, City Directories, as well as subsequent ones, all list Nellie as the widow of George.
A 1908 Milwaukee Journal article stated that Mrs. N. Puffer (Nellie) gave a luncheon in honor of her niece that due to social conventions at the time may have instead read, "Mrs. George Puffer" if Nellie and George were together.
The 1910, 1920 and 1930 Censuses all record that Ellen "Nellie" was widowed.
There is a 1910 Census for "Geo Puffer" living in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, enumerated as a single boarder who was born in 1870 in Massachusetts as were his parents. His occupation was indicated as machinist. Most of this aligns to this George Puffer, however, not knowing when he was released from prison, it's difficult to know for certain. On the other hand, there aren't any other George Puffers of this age range in the area at the time.
The obvious potential matching facts are the consistent incorrect birth place of Massachusetts, his occupation as machinist, Waupun is partially in Fond du Lac County so this would not have been far from the penitentiary and would make sense that he lived there after his release, and being recorded as single would point to the fact that he and Nellie were at minimum separated (whereas Nellie had begun reporting herself as widowed). The one item that is more off is his birth year, as it made him 11 years younger, but if the boarding house owner or someone else supplied the info for the census, they could have simply guessed at/miscalculated his age.
No 1920 Census is found for George.
A 1930 Census for George Puffer puts him in the Rock County Asylum in Janesville, Wisconsin. It denotes a Massachusetts birth in about 1860 and shows that he was married. His occupation was odd jobs at Co. Home (county home?). This aligns to George.
A very brief 1930 death mention in a Wausau newspaper indicated that he was "of Janesville," 75 years old, born in Massachusetts, spent a number of years in Milwaukee, and that he left a widow and 5 children. Facts are off in that he was in reality 70 when he died, was born in Vermont and all 8 of his known children were still living in 1930.
A longer obituary in the Janesville Daily Gazette described him as 75, a machinist, a resident of Janesville for 40 years, born in Massachusetts in 1855 and arriving in about 1890. It stated that he had moved to Milwaukee two years earlier and had returned to Janesville "a short time ago." It added that he was "survived by his widow and five children, all of Milwaukee." Funeral services were to be held at St. Mary's and burial was to be in Mt. Olivet. Again facts which are off by comparison were that he was 70 when he died, was born in Vermont in 1859, arrived to Janesville, Wisconsin sometime before the 1880 Census and, as can be seen above, lived in several different areas of Wisconsin (not just Janesville) for at least 50 years and all 8 of his known children were still living in 1930.
There are some pieces of information about George appearing in records which are slightly incorrect at times.
Best estimation is that the records and some facts are simply mis-recorded, misreported and misremembered by those providing it.
Note that his birth place is often recorded incorrectly as Massachusetts throughout records
What is certain is that George:
• was born in 1859 in Readsboro, Bennington, Vermont
Vermont Births and Christenings, 1765-1908 (on FamilySearch.org)
Name Puffer
Sex Male
Birth Date 19 Jul 1859
Birthplace Readsboro, Bennington, Vermont, United States
Birthplace (Original) Readsboro Twp, Bennington, Vermont, United States
Father's Name William Puffer
Mother's Name Maria Canedy
He is seen in the:
• 1860 Census at the age of one with his parents, William and Maria, three older half-siblings and one older full sibling residing in Readsboro, Bennington, Vermont
• 1870 Census living in Adams, Berkshire, Massachusetts, with his parents, two older half-siblings, one older full sibling and one younger full sibling
• 1880 Census living in Janesville, Rock, Wisconsin, with parents and younger brother (this is the first Census which mistakenly lists he and his parents as having been born in Massachusetts – all three were born in Vermont). George's and younger brother Charles' occupations were recorded as "works in C fact," which may be the cotton factory (mill). The Janesville Cotton Manufacturing Company was established in 1874 and in 1880 employed 250 people. Many individuals on the same page of the 1880 Census had the same occupation. The next page does abbreviate an occupation for one person as "works in Cot. F."
• 1883?? No marriage for George and Ellen "Nellie" Doheney has
been found; the 1900 Census indicates they were married in 1883
• 1884 Janesville, Wisconsin, directory listing his address as 33 N. Franklin and his occupation as "mach," presumably meaning machinist
• 1885 Wisconsin State Census taken on 20 Jun 1885 in Janesville indicating there are 3 males and 2 females in the household; this aligns if his and Ellen's daughter Lillian was born in Sep 1895, rather than Sep 1894 as indicated in the 1900 Census
• 1892 Janesville, Wisconsin directory publishing his address as 107 N. Franklin and his occupation as machinist
• 1900 Census living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at 270 Grove St. with his wife and six children; a mistaken birth place of Massachusetts; occupation machinist
• 1904 Milwaukee, Wisconsin directory listing his address as 460 Scott and occupation as "mach," i.e., machinist
• 1905 Wisconsin State Census taken on 1 Jun 1905 listed in Milwaukee with his wife and eight children; a mistaken birth place of New York; occupation machinist, BUT he was already in prison - see Census below indicating this fact
• 1905 Wisconsin State Census – the second and CORRECT one where he actually physically was as a convict in the State Penitentiary in Waupun, Dodge, Wisconsin
There are August and September 1904 newspaper articles written about George having used a revolver to shoot two or three times at a police officer while trying to escape arrest and thereafter being sentenced to eight years in the penitentiary.
The officer was shot in the hip and George was wounded, but not seriously. He was shot in the shoulder and taken to the emergency hospital.
One article lists the 460 Scott address, which matches the 1904 Milwaukee, Wisconsin directory. A daughter had sworn out a warrant as he was "in the habit of creating family disturbances." He was named as the former head machinist for the cotton mills in Janesville.
His wife was referred to as a "Janesville girl" and one article stated that this was a "culmination of numerous complaints that have been lodged against Puffer by members of his family." The police had said he was a heavy drinker and "had trouble with his wife and family on many occasions." On this particular evening, he was reported to the police by his wife. He was charged with assault with intent to kill.
Where things seem to be misrepresented or slightly off:
Why was George represented in the 1905 Wisconsin State Census in Milwaukee with his family even though he was sentenced in September of 1904 to eight years in prison and also appears on another 1905 Wisconsin State Census correctly in Waupun as a convict? Perhaps the family was trying to save face, or thought they were supposed to include him in order to enumerate him or some other unknown reason.
The 1906 and 1907 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, City Directories, as well as subsequent ones, all list Nellie as the widow of George.
A 1908 Milwaukee Journal article stated that Mrs. N. Puffer (Nellie) gave a luncheon in honor of her niece that due to social conventions at the time may have instead read, "Mrs. George Puffer" if Nellie and George were together.
The 1910, 1920 and 1930 Censuses all record that Ellen "Nellie" was widowed.
There is a 1910 Census for "Geo Puffer" living in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, enumerated as a single boarder who was born in 1870 in Massachusetts as were his parents. His occupation was indicated as machinist. Most of this aligns to this George Puffer, however, not knowing when he was released from prison, it's difficult to know for certain. On the other hand, there aren't any other George Puffers of this age range in the area at the time.
The obvious potential matching facts are the consistent incorrect birth place of Massachusetts, his occupation as machinist, Waupun is partially in Fond du Lac County so this would not have been far from the penitentiary and would make sense that he lived there after his release, and being recorded as single would point to the fact that he and Nellie were at minimum separated (whereas Nellie had begun reporting herself as widowed). The one item that is more off is his birth year, as it made him 11 years younger, but if the boarding house owner or someone else supplied the info for the census, they could have simply guessed at/miscalculated his age.
No 1920 Census is found for George.
A 1930 Census for George Puffer puts him in the Rock County Asylum in Janesville, Wisconsin. It denotes a Massachusetts birth in about 1860 and shows that he was married. His occupation was odd jobs at Co. Home (county home?). This aligns to George.
A very brief 1930 death mention in a Wausau newspaper indicated that he was "of Janesville," 75 years old, born in Massachusetts, spent a number of years in Milwaukee, and that he left a widow and 5 children. Facts are off in that he was in reality 70 when he died, was born in Vermont and all 8 of his known children were still living in 1930.
A longer obituary in the Janesville Daily Gazette described him as 75, a machinist, a resident of Janesville for 40 years, born in Massachusetts in 1855 and arriving in about 1890. It stated that he had moved to Milwaukee two years earlier and had returned to Janesville "a short time ago." It added that he was "survived by his widow and five children, all of Milwaukee." Funeral services were to be held at St. Mary's and burial was to be in Mt. Olivet. Again facts which are off by comparison were that he was 70 when he died, was born in Vermont in 1859, arrived to Janesville, Wisconsin sometime before the 1880 Census and, as can be seen above, lived in several different areas of Wisconsin (not just Janesville) for at least 50 years and all 8 of his known children were still living in 1930.
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