Giants make impression on Lafayette County
Some people have giant personalities but two local residents not only had that, they were also giant in stature.
Frederick and Jane Chadwick were originally from England and moved to Wisconsin in 1849. They were known throughout the area. Both worked for P.T. Barnum at the Barnum Circus under the stage names as The Scotch Giants, even though neither one was Scottish.
Frederick William Randall Chadwick was born April 27, 1813 in Cornwall, England. He had two sisters, Charlotte and Elizabeth and one brother Hedman, who disappeared at sea. Not much is known about his childhood and even his height is a bit distorted. Stories say he was over 8 feet tall to 7 1/2 feet. He weighed between 400 and 450 pounds. He wore a size 27 shoes that was made by a cobbler in Mineral Point. The shoe form is located at the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison.