One of the successul farmers of Pleasant Valley township, residing on Section 16, has been identified with Carroll county, since 1865, in which year he purchased eighty acres of wild land, a part of his present farm, although he did not settle here until the spring of 1870. Mr. Annear added to his original purchase and improved his land until he now owns 320 acres of Carroll county's best soil. His home farm now contains 200 acres of well-cultivated land. His fine two-story residence, which was erected in 1883, is pleasantly situated, and his barns and out-buildings are noticeably good. He has a native grove of five acres, and a good orchard covering two acres. His remaining 120 acres is located in Grant township, one and a half miles southest of Carroll, this farm being also well improved. In connection with his general farming, he devotes some attention to raising and feeding stock.

Mr. Annear is a native of Yorkshire, England, born October 16, 1845, a son of Joseph and Jennifred (Blake) Annear. The family came to America in 1848, and located in Iowa county, WI, where the father died the same year. The mother and children lived some six years in WI when they removed to Richland county, WI. Joseph Annear was the eldest son and second child of five. He war reared to manhood in Richland county, his youth spent in working on the farm and attending the schools of his neighborhood, where he received a fair common-school education. He was united in marriage September 7, 1871, to Miss Jane Bedford, this being the first marriage in Pleasant Valley township. She was a daughter of Rev. Charles Bedford, of Pleasant Valley township (a Methodist circuit rider minister [3]). Mr. and Mrs. Annear were the first to unite with the Methodist Episcopal church in Pleasant Valley township. To them were born five children: Oletha Etta, Charles Arthur, James Albert, John Blake, and Lillie May.

Joseph Annear and Mary Jane (Bedford) Annear both came to America from England in their youth, Joseph at age 3 and Mary at age 18. Oleatha (Hessler) was born in 1872, Arthur in 1874, Albert (Bert) in 1876, and John in 1880. Three other children died in infancey, not uncommon for that time. Early history of the Annear homestead includes the horse race track. Also, this was the site where Williams Jennings Bryan spoke at one of the Old Settler's Picnics that was held annually near Carrollton. Also, the Stage Coach road was located between the house and barn on its winding path to the northwest through Hillsdale, a town that was west of Carroll and existed prior to Carroll's beginning. One of the interesting notes of history on the Annear farm was the Indian graves located south of the river on a knoll overlooking the river valley. They were marked by circles of stones and depressions. Due to the high incident of death by cholera, people were always warned not to open any Indian graves. However, some of these graves had been opened.