Extract from the 1860 Census:
Name: Lucinda Pettis
Age in 1860: 18
Estimated birth year: 1842
Birthplace: New York
Race: white
Sex: female
Relation to head-of-house: wife
Home in 1860: Fountain Prairie, Columbia, Wisconsin
Post office: Leeds
Occupation: not listed
Census place: Fountain Prairie, Columbia, Wisconsin; Roll M653_1401; Page: 272; Image: 279; Family History Library Film: 805401
Date: 9 Aug 1860

Extract from the 1870 Census:
Name: Lucinda Pettis
Age in 1870: 27
Estimated birth year: 1843
Birthplace: New York
Race: white
Gender: female
Relation to head-of-house: wife
Home in 1870: Bridge Creek, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Post office: Augusta
Value of real estate: $1000
Occupation: keeping house
Census place: Bridge Creek, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Roll: M593_1712; Page: 221; Image: 440
Date: 18 Aug 1870

Extract from the 1880 Census:
Name: L A Pettis
Age: 38
Estimated birth year: 1842
Birthplace: New York
Race: white
Sex: female
Relationship to head-of-household: wife
Home in 1880: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Marital status: married
Father's birthplace: New York
Mother's birthplace: New York
Occupation: keeping house
Census place: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Roll: T9_1425; Family History Film: 1255425; Page: 526.4000; Enumeration District: 139
Date: 21 Jun 1880

Extract from the 1900 Census:
Name: Lucinda Pettis
Age at last birthday: 55
Date of birth: Mar 1845
Birthplace: New York
Race: white
Sex: female
Relationship to head-of-house: sister-in-law
Living with: Charles W Pettis, age 76
Home in 1900: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Marital status: widow
Number of children: 10
Number of children living: 9
Able to read, write and speak English: yes
Father's birthplace: New York
Mother's birthplace: New York
Occupation: none
Census place: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Roll: T623 1788; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 33
Date: 13 Jun 1900

Extract from the 1910 Census:
Name: Lucinda Pettis
Age in 1910: 66
Estimated birth year: 1844
Birthplace: New York
Race: white
Sex: female
Relationship to head of family: mother-in-law
Living with: Alson and Mary (Pettis) Babcock, ages 40 and 46
Home in 1910: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Marital status: widow
Number of children: 10
Number of children now living: 8
Able to speak English: yes
Able to read and write: yes
Father's birthplace: New York
Mother's birthplace: New York
Occupation: none
Census place: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Roll: T624_1710; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 59; Image: 514
Date: 16 Apr 1910

Extract from the 1920 Census:
Name: Lucinda L Pettis
Age: 76
Estimated birth year: 1844
Birthplace: New York
Race: white
Sex: female
Relationship to head of house: mother-in-law
Living with: Alson and Mary (Pettis) Babcock, ages 50 and 55
Home in 1920: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Address: farm
Marital status: widow
Able to speak English: yes
Able to read and write: yes
Father's birthplace: New York
Mother's birthplace: New York
Occupation: none
Census place: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Roll: T625_1984; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 136; Image: 456
Date: 21 Jan 1920

Newspaper article by Mrs. Lewis Pettis from the Augusta newspaper dated 21 Mar 1929:
Mrs. Lucinda Pettis, pioneer lady of Fairchild celebrated her 85th birthday at Fairchild two weeks ago when a great gathering of her eight children, forty-two grandchildren and forty-six great grandchildren, together with a host of other relatives and friends honored her on this joyous occasion.
Mrs. Lucinda Pettis, one of the first to settle in the vicinity of Fairchild, came with her husband Granville Pettis and the latter's brother, Wilford, in the autumn of 1861. Mrs. Pettis, (nee Lucinda Livermore) was born in Broom County, New York, and came west with her parents to Shanango County, Wisconsin. From there she came to Columbia County and at the age of 14 she married. Immediately, the trio first mentioned received a very alluring report of the possibilities of homesteading in Eau Claire County from Mr. Joseph Livermore, who had a small store where the Randall Undertaking Parlors in Augusta now stands.
So with a covered wagon containing the meager housekeeping necessities, a cow, a yoke of oxen, the three started on a long and tedious journey. A hen, sitting on eighteen eggs in a wash tub, was placed in the back of the wagon. The fowl seemed to catch the master's spirit, for she was true blue and hatched fourteen chickens, which grew to maturity. The third day of the journey was very warm and one of the oxen, being rather old became overheated and that night thought his easiest way out was to abandon the undertaking, and consequently lay down and died. Not a very accommodating thing to do, but some things happen that way. The party did not know just what to do, but a lady living where they were camped said, "Drive the old cow." A day was spent teaching the cow the whys and wherefores of transportation, via a stumpy trail.
Each day the milk from the cow was placed in a stone churn. The vibration from the journeying wagon churned a nice ball of butter for the evening meal. The trio moved steadily onward. Travel was slow, the cattle obtained feed by grazing. Ascending the long sandy incline known as the "Dividing Ridge" northwest of Black River Falls, on highway 27, one full day was spent climbing the hill. The immigrants camped at the base of the hill one night and the summit the next night.
There was a small town at Black River Falls and a few settlers at Humbird when they came through. In what is now the village of Fairchild three log buildings formed homes. One where the east side of the Farmers Store now stands, one on the Dodsworth lot and one on the old Dr. Cole property.
Coming on to the clearing that had been started by William Stahl, father of John Stahl of Altoona, the Pettis brothers took two homesteads. The Stahl one hundred sixty acres had a small eight by ten split log shanty, and about one acre of clearing, on what is now the Lewis Pettis farm, on the part that is west of the old highway 12 and north of the railroad. The family lived in this shanty and the wagon until winter.
With the aid of a settler on the place now owned by Ray Lubinski (Wm. C. Miller), they cleared and broke enough land to sow the two bushels of wheat that they brought from Columbia County. The wheat after being flailed out the next fall (which necessitated a large amount of waste) netted 12 bushels. Part of this was taken to Sparta and made into flour, the remaining was used for planting.
The main source of obtaining groceries was by making shingles, cutting the blocks and hewing them with a sharp, flat steel instrument called a fro, and a heavy wooden maul. The shingles were made of the very choicest pine and hauled to Sparta. The trip was made with oxen, taking nearly a week.
They had two dollars in money when they started to build their new home. Besides the Bill Miller family, two others, John and Joe Travis lived on the Charles Rabensdorf and Lawrence Lowe farms. The Bill Miller place was the stage depot on the simple stage road between Black River Falls and Eau Claire. Meals and lodging were offered to travelers.
In the winter of 1861 Mr. and Mrs. Granville Pettis and Wilford went to Humbird, where a small saw mill was starting operation. Mrs. Pettis cooked for mill hands. The men worked and earned money to buy supplies and to buy another ox.
In the spring of 1862 they returned to Pettisville. The eighty acres homesteaded by Granville Pettis was east of the Wilford Pettis land and here a large (18x20) log house was erected in 1864 (here eight children were born, Mrs. Alson Babcock being two months old when the log house was completed).
Game was plentiful, deer and bear furnishing the meat supply, their oil and tallow taking the place of Silver Leaf Lard. At one time the mop was taken from the accustomed place at the back door. Mr. Pettis killed a large buck that day feeding in the garden. When dressing the deer he found the cloth from the mop in the deer's stomach.
Few settlers came until about the time the work started on the railroad in 1870. At that time the company built some log supply camps and living quarters, including a railroad store in one end of the building. This was near the place where the Pettis railroad crossing is now. Mrs. Pettis boarded the men. Crews came and went, ranging in number from 40 to 80 men. Mrs. Pettis had no help, except a girl, Henriette Payson, two days a week. In 1863, Granville enlisted in the Army and went to Sparta for examination, being refused because one foot was imperfect. In 1864 he was drafted and taken to Sparta again on the stagecoach, but he was not put into active service.
During the first few winters, before much of the land was broken, the men cut pine boughs for the cattle to eat when hay was not available. Berries were plentiful on the bluffs and Mrs. Pettis and the children walked four to six miles to pick berries and walked home again.
Soon after 1870 more settlers came and began to make homes around. Mr. and Mrs. Pettis were very hospitable and their home soon became the gathering place for all business meetings and social functions for miles around. There was always room for one more and often the floor was covered at night with extra beds to accommodate their guests.
A few years later a school was built at Fairchild, then one at the mill which is now the Seaver farm (the old Livermore homestead). The Pettis family prospered, for work and economy were their ambitions, square dealing and kindness their watchwords.
Granville Pettis died in 1898, Wilford in the early 1900s. Mrs. Pettis is in poor health, but greatly enjoyed a family reunion a short time ago at which time all of her children were at home. She still lives in the big house on the hill overlooking the valley that is the fruit of years of love and labor. She recalls with pleasure the jolly good times of days gone by.

Article from the "Capital Times" of Madison, Wisconsin dated 24 Mar 1929:
Mrs. Lucinda Pettis,
Fairchild Reminisces
- - - - - - - - -
Was 14 When Married;
Had 85th Birthday
March 16
Fairchild, Wis. - Mrs Lucinda Pettis, one of the first settlers in the vicinity of Fairchild, who came here with her husband, Granville Pettis, and his brother Wilford, in the spring of 1861, celebrated her 85th birthday here March 16. Mrs. Pettis (nee Lucinda Livermore) was born in Broom county, New York. She came with her parents to Shenango county, and then to Columbia county, where she married at the age of fourteen years. Immediately the trio received a very alluring description of the possibilities of homesteading in Eau Claire county, from Josephus Livermore, who then had a store at Augusta.
With a covered wagon with meager housekeeping necessities, a cow and a yoke of oxen they started on the long journey. A hen, setting on eighteen eggs in a wash tub ras placed in the back of the wagon. The old girl seemed to catch her master's spirit, for she proved true blue and hatched fourteen chicks that grew to maturity. The third day out was very warm. That evening one of the oxen thinking the easiest way out was to discontinue the trip, laid down and died - not a very accomodating thing to do. At first the folks did not know what to do, but a lady where they camped said "Why not drive the cow?" So after a day teaching the cow the why and wherefore of transportation, via stumpy trail, the travelers proceeded. Each day the cow's milk was placed in a stone churn and the vibration from the moving wagon churned the butter freshly for the evening meal.
Travel was very slow. There was a small town at Black River Falls and a few settlers at Humbird. Crossing the divlding ridge, west and north cf Black river, took all one day to ascend the long sandy incline, on what is now surfaced State Highway 27. The party camped at the foot of the hill one night and at the summit the next night.
In what is now Fairchild there were three log buildings that were homes. The trio came to the Bill Miller place, now the home of Ray Lubinski, then a stage depot on the stage line from Sparta to Eau Claire. Here travelers were welcomed and offered meals and shelter. The Pettises learned of a small split log shanty about 8x10 and about an acre of clearing that had been abandoned. Here Wilford Pettis homesteaded. Granville took 80 acres adjoining. They cleared enough land to sow two bushels of wheat they brought from Columbia county. The following harvest after flailing the grain, which wasted some, there remained twelve bushels. Part was used for seed again, the remainder taken to Sparta and made into flour.
When the Pettis brothers started to build a home here they had just $2 in money. They lived in their wagon and the shanty the first summer and in the winter went to Humbird, where the men worked in the yards and earned enough to buy some supplies and another ox.
In the spring of 1862, they returned to the homestead, where they have resided since. In 1864, they built a large loghouse. Most of the grocerics were obtained by making shingles, with a sharp steel instrument called a "fro" and a heavy wooden maul. These shingles were made of the choicest pine and hauled to Sparta. The round trip with the oxen took about a week.
Game was plentiful. Deer and bear formed the main meat supply. Oil and tallow took the place of Silver Leaf of today. One night the mop disappeared from its accustomed place near the back door. During the day Mr. Pettis killed a buck deer that was feeding in the garden. When dressing the animal they found the mop cloths in the deer's stomach.
During the first few winters, before there was much land cleared and broken the men often cut down pine trees for the cattle to feed on the twigs, to substitute for hay, when the latter was unobtainable. Berries were abundent on the bluffs. Often Mrs Pettis walked four or five miles, picked two pails of blueberries and walked home again.
Granville Pettis died in 1893 [sic]. Wilford died about two years later. Mrs. Lucinda Pettis still lives on the old homestead, in the big white house on the hill, overlooking the valley that represents the fruits of love and labor. She has 42 grandchildren and 56 great grandchildren. Her 85th birthday party was attended by all her children and many other relatives when plates were laid for 50.

Extract from the 1930 Census:
Name: Lucinda Pettis
Age: 86
Estimated birth year: 1844
Birthplace: New York
Race: white
Sex: female
Relation to head-of-house: mother-in-law
Living with: Alson and Mary (Pettis) Babcock, ages 60 and 65
Home in 1930: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Marital status: widow
Age at first marriage: 14
Education: able to speak English
Education: able to read and write
Father's birthplace: New York
Mother's birthplace: New York
Occupation: none
Census place: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Roll: 2572; Page: ; Enumeration District: 20; Image: 133.0.
Date: 7 Apr 1930

Children:
(1) Mary Rosetta Pettis
(2) Charles Wilfred Pettis
(3) Ella Arminda Pettis
(4) Edward Alton Pettis
(5) William H Pettis
(6) Clarence Adelbert Pettis
(7) Lewis Morton Pettis
(8) Alva Eugene Pettis
(9) Walter Herbert Pettis
(10) Evva Deborah Pettis
(11) Guy H Pettis.