BOOK - HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY, MN. PUBLISHED IN 1909. Joseph W. Hancock was born in Orford, N. H., April 4, 1816. He attended the public schools at that place and followed this by a course at the academy located in Bradford, Vt. As a young man he taught in various places in New England, and in 1841 started out for the West. He journeyed down the Ohio river to the Mississippi, and then caine north as far as Quincy, Ill. Here he taught school for a while and soon afterward had a class among the Winnebago Indians in Iowa. Later he taught a private school in Prairie du Chien, Wis. He found, however, that although he had come west for the sake of his health, the change of climate had not worked the desired change and consequently he returned to the East and spent some time at Saratoga, N. Y., where he found the water from the springs to be of great benefit. In 1846 he was united in marriage with Martha Maria Houghton. a sister of H. O. Houghton, the noted Boston publisher. In 1848 Mr. Hancock received a commission from the American Board of Foreign Missions to become a missionary to the Sioux Indians, west of the Mississippi, and was sent to the Indian, village of Red Wing, in the Northwest territory, where a band of Indians had long been located, and where missionary efforts had previously been conducted. The first white person known to have been buried within the limits of Goodhue county was the wife of Mr. Hancock. After two years of service among the Sioux her health gave away and she died March 21, 1851. To this union were born two children. William died in infancy, the other is Mrs. William Holliday. In 1852 he was married to Sarah Rankin, who died in March, 1859, leaving two children, Stella and James Otis. In October, 1860, he was united in marriage with Juliet Thompson, who died in 1897. Mr. Hancock began preaching to the early settlers in 1852, and in January, 1855, organized the First Presbyterian Church of Red Wing, of which he was pastor for seven years. During the remainder of his life he was connected with that church. He helped to organize the Winona presbytery in 1855, being one of the three clergymen who founded it. In addition to his religious work, Mr. Hancock was in various capacities connected with the civic life of the community. He was first postmaster in Red Wing, and was appointed by Governor Ramsey, territorial governor of Minnesota, as register of deeds in 1855. In the fall of that year he was elected to the office by the people. He was deeply interested in educational affairs and in the early history of the community had much to do in shaping the school interests. From 1862 to 1865 he was superintendent of schools in Goodhue county, and from 1870 to 1880 again served in the same capacity. His latter years were spent practically in retirement. He published a short history of the county in 1893, and to his writings the managers of the present publication are greatly indebted.


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