Henry M. Burchard, who passed away in 1898, started the building of the middle house at 305 West Redwood Street in Marshall. This home along with the homes on each side of it were torn down in the summer of 2012. The village of Burchard was named after Henry Burchard, who was a railroad land agent in Marshall. Henry’s son James continued construction of the home.

James C. Burchard was born on Aug. 13, 1851, to Henry and Eliza (Clark) Burchard in Clinton, New York. Henry Burchard was a cousin to President Rutherford Burchard Hayes. In the fall of 1866, James accompanied his parents to Winona and a few years later the family home was made in Northern Illinois. After his education ended, James began to work for the Chicago & North Western Railway Company in a clerical position. He moved to Marshall in the fall of 1878 and stayed for one year before he moved to Watertown to work as a station agent for a year. He then moved to Chicago and worked for several years in the general office of the Chicago & North Western Railway Company.

James Burchard became a resident of Marshall again in 1884 and entered the land office of what was then known as the Winona & St. Peter Railroad Company as a cashier. Upon the death of his father in July of 1898. James succeeded him as general land agent for the Chicago & North Western Railway Company. He was married in Chicago in 1879 to Sidonia M. Schupp. James and Sidonia had three children, Simon J., John E. and William S. James served as a member of the city council and as mayor from 1905-1906 and 1920-1924. After he died on May 5, 1924, Sidonia sold the home and moved back east.

The photograph featured this week is the Burchard home at 305 West Redwood Street as it appeared in the 1900 Marshall Souvenir Book. Items from this home including a fireplace, buffet, columns from the porch, windows, and doors are on display at the Lyon County Museum in the Heritage Room exhibit.