John C. Miller, a prominent and influential farmer of Fitchburg township, Wisconsin, was born in Springfield, Windsor county, Vermont, March 22, 1826. His father, also John Miller, was born in Grafton, Worcester county, Massachusetts, and his father, James H. Miller, was, as far as is known, a native of the same town. The father of James, the great-grandfather of our subject, was a farmer and spent his last years in the town of Grafton. Here James lived after him on the farm his industry had reclaimed from the wilderness, and the former was a brave soldier in the Revolutionary war. In about 1805, however, the old life grew too restricted for James Miller and he removed, with teams, to Vermont, where he was a pioneer of the town of Springfield. The trip from Massachusetts to Vermont was a hard one, as it was made in the winter season. Mr. Miller had traded his farm in the former State for one at Springfield, and here he spent his last, days with his faithful wife, whose maiden name was Lucy Pratt, a native of the same town as her husband. The father of our subject was only ten years of age when his parents removed to Vermont, and there he was reared and married to Statira Booth, born in Lempeter. New Hampshire, in 1792, daughter of Jonathan and Sally (Scott) Booth. Mr. Miller served in the war of 1812 and resided in Springfield until 1850, when he came to Wisconsin and bought a tract of land in section 35, Fitchburg township. In 1879 he sold this farm and bought a farm in section 36, on which he resided until his death, which lamented event occurred when he was ninety years of ago.

Our subject was reared and educated in Springfield and resided there until 1846, when he removed to Lansingburg, New York, and was engaged in a floor-cloth factory until 1848, when he removed to New Hampshire and remained a few months, when he returned home and pursued his trade of blacksmith until 1850, when he came to Wisconsin, via Troy, New York, and on the Erie canal to Buffalo, where he took a steamer to Milwaukee, and from there made the journey with team to Dane county, where he engaged in farming with his father and brother-in-law, Franklin Sutton. He was in partnership with them for many years. He now owns a fine improved farm of 113 acres on section 36, Fitchburg township, where he carries on on general farming and stock-raising.

Mr. Miller was married in 1853 to Miss Adelia M. Waite, native of Napoleon, Henry oounty, Ohio. Three children have been born to these parents: Alice I., J. W. and W. E. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Miller is an ardent Republican in politics.

Biographical Review of Dane County, Wisconsin, Chicago, Biographical Review Publishing Co., 1893, p390