Jay Forrest Lyon was born on November 6, 1862, at Darien, this county, and is a son of Joseph F. and Arimathea (Jones) Lyon. The Lyon pedigree has been traced back to William Lyon, of Roxbury, England, who, at the age of fourteen, September 11, 1635, embarked in the “Hopewell,” in which he reached Massachusetts after a tedious voyage of many weeks. He there grew to manhood and married Sarah Ruggles, daughter of John and Mary (Curtis) Ruggles. To William Lyon and wife a son was born, whom they named William. He grew up and married Sarah Duncan, and to them Samuel was born on September 20, 1679; he married Joanna, daughter of John and Hannah (Prentice) Weld. To Samuel and Joanna Lyon a son, Edward, was born, December 24, 1710, at Roxbury, who married Rebecca Boyden, and to them a son, David, was born in 1739, whose son, Isaac, was born at Royalston and married Sally Blodgett and to them Joseph F. Lyon, father of Judge Lyon, was born.
Sally Blodgett’s ancestry is as follows: She was in the seventh generation of the Blodgett family. The first of the name of whom we have definite record was Thomas Blodgett and his wife Susanna, who emigrated to America from London, England, in [635 on the old-fashioned sailing vessel “Increase,” accompanied by their sons, Daniel and Samuel. The family settled at Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their son Samuel married Lucy Locke and settled at Woburn. Samuel’s son, Thomas, married Rebecca Tidd, and they named a son Samuel, who married Mary Russell, and to this union a son, Timothy, was born, August 7. 1740, who married Millicent Perry, and their son, Joseph, born in 1776, married Thankful Hawkins and lived at Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire. To them a daughter, Sally, was born in 1800, who married Isaac Lyon, and was the mother of Joseph F. Lyon, who was born in Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, April 23, 1825. When nineteen years of age, in 1844, he started from his home in the Keystone state to Illinois, traveling most of the Illinois traveling most of the way on foot. He reached Little Foot (Fort?), now Waukegan, where he found employment as a clerk in a store. Soon he induced his father’s family to come west. He remained at Little Foot (Fort?) until 1850, then moved to Woodstock, Illinois, and engaged in the mercantile business until 1854, then removed to Walworth county, Wisconsin, and established his home in the town of Darien. Having previously studied law with Mr. Blodgett in Waukegan, he continued his legal studies while engaged as a commercial traveler for a New York clothing house, having been thus engaged from 1852 until 1855. While living at Woodstock he was appointed postmaster by President Fillmore and served in that capacity three years. He was also engaged at times in the practice of law in justice courts. On July 26, 1854, he was united in marriage with Arimathea Jones, daughter of Truman Jones, this family having come here in 1838 among the early pioneers, and for some time Mrs. Lyon was one of the early teachers of the county.
In the spring of 1859 Joseph F. Lyon went overland with an ox team to California, and returned in 1860, resuming the study of law at Darien, and was admitted to the bar in 1864 in the circuit court of Walworth county. He was successful as an attorney and was prominent in local politics. He was a representative from this county in the Legislature in 1868. He continued to practice law in Darien until 1875. when he was appointed clerk of the circuit court to fill a vacancy. He was afterward elected to the same office, which he held until January 1, 1878. Upon his appointment to this office he removed to Elkhorn. and here be continued to reside after his term of office had expired, and here he practiced law the rest of his life, bis death occurring in 1902.
His wife died on November 7, 1872, leaving three children. A. Maw, Vernette M., and Jay Forrest. While a resident of Darien Joseph F. Lyon served as chairman of the county board of supervisors for two years. He was elected justice of the peace in Elkhorn, and was clerk of the Elkhorn schools.
He was twice married, his last wife being Amelia Dodge, daughter of Leander and Harriet Dodge. She was born at Darien, this county, in 1840, her parents having been early settlers there. She died in 1906.
Judge Jay F. Lyon was thirteen years of age when his parents moved to Elkhorn. Here he attended the public schools, graduating from the high school in 1880. He soon afterwards took a position as stenographer in the offices of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha railroad, working in their general offices in St. Paul, Minnesota, for four years, and while there met the lady who later became his wife. Not finding railroading entirely to his liking and having long desired to follow in the footstep his father in a professional way, he entered the Boston university of school of Law from which he graduated in 1888. Thus well equipped for his chosen life work, he at once entered upon the practice of his profession at Elkhorn with his father and they continued in partnership until 1899. In January of that year the subject was appointed county judge to fill out an unexpired term, and was re-elected to this office in 1901, and again in 1905 and 1909, for terms of four years each.
At the law school he took a three years’ course in two years, and had the satisfaction of showing that, although coming from farther west than any of his class, nearly all being from Eastern colleges, he had the ability to stand at the head of his class.
The domestic life of Judge Lyon began on June 30, 1886, at St. Paul, .Minnesota, when he was united in marriage with Caroline A. Bayard, a lady of culture and refinement and a daughter of William and Rachael (Lewis) Bayard. She was born at Cornwall-on-the-Hudson, New York. To the Judge and wife four sons have been born, namely: Bayard, born April 4, 1887, was graduated from Oberlin College in June, 1910, and is now in Tientsin, China; William F., born November 2, 1889, was graduated from Oberlin College in June, 1911, and he is now in Tientsin, China, where he went in August, 1911, under appointment of the International Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), to teach in the Nan Kai Middle School. He was soon busy with his work as teacher and he started a football team, a band and other forms of recreation and amusements, and was in the thick of college life there when the revolution of 191 1 began; Charles E., born January 7, 1896, and George D., born July 18, 1897, are attending school.
Fraternally, Judge Lyon is a member of the Masonic order and the Knights of Pythias, and in religious matters he belongs to the Baptist church.
From: Beckwith, A.C. (1912). History of Walworth County Wisconsin